EIGHT DEADLY DOG FIGHTS PER WEEK

Sick battles linked to rise in organised crime

- HOLLIE BONE

MORE than eight illegal dog fights have been stopped every week in the past four years as the UK faces a growing wave of organised crime.

The RSPCA warns it is getting more and more calls about the sick battles, which often leave dogs mutilated or dead.

The charity said it was called out 1,831 times to stop the illegal blood sport across England and Wales from the start of 2020 to the end of last year.

The shocking figures show the number of matches are on the rise with 560 in 2023 - up 34% from the 418 in 2020.

And RSPCA Special Operations Unit chief investigator Ian Muttitt said an increase in organised crime is "intrinsically linked" to a rise in dog fighting.