Britain's Got Talent voters have been offered refunds after Ofcom ruled that switching dogs during this year's final was misleading.

The watchdog found ITV had broken broadcasting rules after owner Jules O'Dwyer used a second dog, Chase, for a wire walk during the winning performance of Matisse in the hit show.

Ms O’Dwyer and Matisse won the nation’s heart after performing a series of comedy sketches together.

Chase had previously appeared in one of O’Dwyer’s earlier sketches in the competition, but it was not made clear that Matisse was not the only dog used in their performance in the final show.

Some viewers expressed their confusion and disappointment about the swap on social media, feeling that they were duped, and 1,175 complaints were made about the matter.

In a ruling today, Ofcom said: "We accepted ITV had no intention to deceive the audience. However, the presentation of the act did not make clear to viewers that a central part was performed by a second dog.

"By failing to do so, we've concluded the presentation of the act was likely to have materially misled some people."

It added: “With the benefit of hindsight, the billing of the act as ‘Jules O’Dwyer & Matisse’ throughout the series might have contributed to the complaints of some viewers that they had been misled."

The Ofcom report states that there is "no reason to believe that there was any intention to deceive viewers that the tightrope walk actually involved a second dog".

However, factors including the naming of the act as 'Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse', the fact that they were referred to as a 'double act', and that Chase did not appear on-stage with Jules, Matisse and Skippy after the performance ended, meant that "although the Licensee may not have intended to deceive viewers, the presentation of the act “Jules O’Dwyer & Matisse” not only had the potential to mislead, but was likely to have done so."

In reaction, ITV has now added a Refund button on its Britain's Got Talent website.

It says on the site: "In the light of this adjudication, ITV and BGT co-producers Thames and Syco Entertainment have agreed that viewers who voted for the winning act by a paid voting route (ie by landline or mobile, but not via the BGT app) may wish to seek a refund of the cost incurred in voting, or may wish for the entirety of those costs to be donated to [the Royal Variety Charity]."

In a statement, the broadcaster added: "The Britain's Got Talent production team apologised at the time for not making it clearer to the judges and viewers at home that three dogs were involved in the final performance.

"There was never any intention to mislead viewers and in their decision Ofcom said they 'have no reason to believe that there was any intention to deceive viewers that the tightrope walk actually involved a second dog."

Speaking at a charity event in June, Simon Cowell said: "No-one set out to fool anybody, the second dog actually had his collar with his name on."

Explaining the role of the additional dog in June, O’Dwyer said: “I was disappointed when people said I allegedly hid Chase and I was trying to make it like Chase was Matisse. That's not so.

Britain's Got Talent 2015 25 show all Britain's Got Talent 2015 1/25 Leading lady Amanda Holden works a caped dress as she poses ahead of the start of Britain's Got Talent (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 2/25 Golden girl Alesha Dixon looks stunning in a revealing jumpsuit (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 3/25 Looking fierce The judges go glam for their promo shots ahead of this year's show (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 4/25 bgt12.jpg Billy and Emily England from Birmingham attempting to roller blade their way to the next round (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 5/25 Catching a ride Talented dog Millie scoots her way across the stage to impress the judges (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 6/25 Hula hooping Lisa Sampson showing off her hula hooping talents (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 7/25 Back together David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden take to the judges panel in search of more talent (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 8/25 Golden buzzer David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden surround the golden buzzer (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 9/25 Flexibility Bonetics from Essex shows off his moves (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 10/25 Special talents Hopeful Narinder Dhani looks to be making music with a pink comb (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 11/25 Bigger and better Ysgol Choir from Wales take to the stage to sing their way into the next round (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 12/25 He's back Simon Cowell is back in search of Britain's most talented (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 13/25 Funny man David Walliams will no doubt bring entertainment to the judging panel (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 14/25 Geordie duo Ant and Dec have returned to host the ITV talent contest (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 15/25 Karate kid Jesse-Jane McParland unleashed hell with her mini samurai sword (Photo: ITV) 16/25 Hypnodog Simon Cowell was hypnotised on-stage by a small dog in the auditions (Photo: ITV) 17/25 Queen Bee Aaron Carty dragged up as Beyonce in the auditions (Picture: ITV) 18/25 Amanda Holden Amanda Holden during the semi-finals (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 19/25 aleshadixon.jpg Alesha Dixon performed live in the semi-finals (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 20/25 Emotional story Father-and-sons group The Neales warmed hearts in the semi-finals (Picture: ITV) ITV 21/25 Play time Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse stormed the semi-finals in their 'Toymaker' routine (Picture: ITV) ITV 22/25 Top talent Isaac Waddington performs in the semi-finals (Picture: ITV) ITV 23/25 Plunging necklines Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon in the live final (Picture: Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 24/25 The favourite Calum Scott was odds-on to win, but forgot his words in the live final (Picture: ITV) ITV 25/25 Winning duo Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse take the crown as the 2015 winners (Picture: ITV) 1/25 Leading lady Amanda Holden works a caped dress as she poses ahead of the start of Britain's Got Talent (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 2/25 Golden girl Alesha Dixon looks stunning in a revealing jumpsuit (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 3/25 Looking fierce The judges go glam for their promo shots ahead of this year's show (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 4/25 bgt12.jpg Billy and Emily England from Birmingham attempting to roller blade their way to the next round (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 5/25 Catching a ride Talented dog Millie scoots her way across the stage to impress the judges (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 6/25 Hula hooping Lisa Sampson showing off her hula hooping talents (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 7/25 Back together David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden take to the judges panel in search of more talent (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 8/25 Golden buzzer David Walliams, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden surround the golden buzzer (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 9/25 Flexibility Bonetics from Essex shows off his moves (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 10/25 Special talents Hopeful Narinder Dhani looks to be making music with a pink comb (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 11/25 Bigger and better Ysgol Choir from Wales take to the stage to sing their way into the next round (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 12/25 He's back Simon Cowell is back in search of Britain's most talented (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 13/25 Funny man David Walliams will no doubt bring entertainment to the judging panel (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) 14/25 Geordie duo Ant and Dec have returned to host the ITV talent contest (Picture: Syco/Thames TV/PA) 15/25 Karate kid Jesse-Jane McParland unleashed hell with her mini samurai sword (Photo: ITV) 16/25 Hypnodog Simon Cowell was hypnotised on-stage by a small dog in the auditions (Photo: ITV) 17/25 Queen Bee Aaron Carty dragged up as Beyonce in the auditions (Picture: ITV) 18/25 Amanda Holden Amanda Holden during the semi-finals (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 19/25 aleshadixon.jpg Alesha Dixon performed live in the semi-finals (Picture: Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 20/25 Emotional story Father-and-sons group The Neales warmed hearts in the semi-finals (Picture: ITV) ITV 21/25 Play time Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse stormed the semi-finals in their 'Toymaker' routine (Picture: ITV) ITV 22/25 Top talent Isaac Waddington performs in the semi-finals (Picture: ITV) ITV 23/25 Plunging necklines Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon in the live final (Picture: Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis) Dymond / Syco / Thames / Corbis 24/25 The favourite Calum Scott was odds-on to win, but forgot his words in the live final (Picture: ITV) ITV 25/25 Winning duo Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse take the crown as the 2015 winners (Picture: ITV)

“I introduced Chase in the semi-final, and I said Chase is Matisse's best mate. Chase does the trick very well, Matisse prefers it lower but he's never been at that height. I have a choice: I have a dog that can do it at that height, or I have a dog I'd have to push in three days to achieve this.

“Why put the pressure on the dog, when I already have another dog who can perform it on television?”