People who commit the most heinous acts of cruelty to animals will face up to five years in prison under tough new proposals.

The Government is planning to raise the maximum sentence from six months in jail as part of reforms to be announced at the Conservative Party conference by Environment Secretary Michael Gove on Monday.

The UK currently has some of the most lenient sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty in Europe.

The new proposals have been drawn up after a series of serious animal abuse cases where offenders have escaped with relatively light punishments prompting calls from judges for tougher sentences.

In one case a man who beat, choked and stabbed several puppies to death received only six months in prison and a ban from owning animals.