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These shocking images lift the lid on Indonesia's dog meat industry – where stray pooches are beaten to death with hammers and served in curries for just £1.65.

Photographer Eko Siswono Toyudho took the graphic pictures after gaining access to a dog slaughterhouse in Jakarta through a friend who runs a dog meat restaurant.

The 37-year-old said stray dogs are bought for 150,000 to 250,000 rupiah (£8 to £14) depending on their size and chained up and fed rice and vegetables in a 'quarantine house'.

Eko said he witnessed dogs being beaten to death with hammers in the tourist hotspot before their meat was chopped up and cooked with 'special spices' in the nearby restaurant.

The journalist, from Jakarta, captured the gruesome scenes on camera in September 2015 but has never released his photographs until now due to their shocking nature.

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

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But he claims both the slaughterhouse and dog meat restaurant – based to the east of Jakarta – are still running, with three to six dogs killed there each day.

Eko said: "I was able to gain access to the quarantine house because the owner of the dog restaurant is a close friend of mine, so he let me take the pictures.

"I witnessed the dogs beaten to death with hammers and left bleeding before being sliced up in order to be cooked.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

"Mongrel dogs are obtained from across West Jawa and Banten for 150,000 to 250,000 rupiah (£8 to £14) per animal, depending on their size.

"Each day, between three and six dogs are processed there to be made into a food named 'Saksang'.

"The flesh is cooked with special spices such as andaliman and asam gelugur before being served at special small restaurants for 30,000 rupiahs (£1.65) per portion.

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

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"Dog meat is a typical cuisine from this area of Indonesia, and is much in demand.

"It is a traditional food for the Batak people from North Sumatera, who like it because it is part of their tradition. According to them, the meat is delicious.

"However, it can only be served in certain dishes and restaurants, and is sometimes hidden from the menu.

"Both the quarantine home and the restaurant are still open now."

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

Eko claims the dogs bought by the 'quarantine house' are mongrels taken from the streets of West Jawa and Banten.

In his heartbreaking images, dogs can be seen chained up in the 'quarantine house'.

More graphic photos show the animals lying dead and their bodies placed in baskets with their fur singed off.

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

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His final images show what appears to be the dog meat being cooked before curries are made using the flesh.

Eko said the dog quarantine is based on demand, and during the wait to be killed the dogs are given human food like rice and vegetables.

He said: "My photos show dogs in the quarantine zone before being cooked for food. I captured the beginning of the process until the end, when the animals are served as food to eat for dog meat lovers.

"I decided to take these photographs because as a journalist I feel it is my duty to tell the story.

"As an animal lover I feel it's a pity to see this kind of activity, but there is nothing I can do about it to stop it.

(Image: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Caters News)

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"Maybe by telling the story, it will raise awareness with the public.

"I understand people from Western cultures will find this practice upsetting and horrifying, and I hope there will be more done to condemn this kind of activity – but it is their tradition.

"I just feel pity for the dogs beaten to death, but hope my pictures speak for themselves."

Pressure group Dog Meat Free Indonesia believe every year millions of dogs are transported through Indonesia to fuel the dog meat trade – some of which are stolen family pets.

They believe seven per cent of the Indonesian population eat dog meat but say the trade threatens the health of the whole country by contributing to rabies outbreaks.