A CRACKDOWN on the sale of many puppies and kittens has been demanded by a Hampshire MP, to stamp out cruelty.

Caroline Dinenage, the Gosport MP, condemned “backyard breeders” and called for authorities to have greater powers to drive up standards.

But she stopped short of calling for a ban on sales from pet shops - the demand made by a group of MPs who staged a Commons debate.

Ms Dinenage, a Conservative MP, said she was “cautious” about a ban in shops, but said puppies and kittens should be older before they were separated from their mothers.

And she said: “As a vice president of the RSPCA, animal welfare is a matter very close to my heart.

“From personal experience, I know that the standards upheld by so-called 'backyard breeders' are simply not high enough.

“I hope the debate will precipitate a change in the law to tackle the unregulated sale of these young animals and give authorities greater power to enforce legislation.”

In the Commons, ministers were told that Britain risked becoming a nation with “disposable pets” unless action was taken.

Puppies and kittens in pet shops could only come from irresponsible breeders, who also sold the young animals privately, through the internet.

In response, Conservative minister George Eustice said a new voluntary code of conduct for pet sales had cut 100,000 adverts from backstreet breeders from the internet.

And he said puppies would not be allowed to be legally imported into Britain unless they were at least 15 weeks old, under EU rules.

There was “much that can be done” to strengthen the regulations to improve animal welfare, but rejected a ban on sales from shops.