Electric shock collars used on dogs should be banned, says North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson.

And he hosted an event in Parliament with charities The Kennel Club, Dogs Trust, RSPCA, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the British Veterinary Association and Blue Cross to persuade MPs to support the cause.

The MP said: “I am honoured to support this coalition of animal welfare charities in the fight to ban electric shock collars. For several years we have been calling on the government to carry out their commitment and bring forward plans to ban electric shock collars, and I hope that this event shows the breadth of support we have in carrying out this mission.

“Wide-ranging evidence proves that not only do they harm our four-legged friends, but shock collars fundamentally also do not fix the root cause of ‘undesirable’ behaviour and can often cause more harm than good. That’s why I am backing the call to ban these cruel instruments without further delays.”

Mark Beazley, chief executive at The Kennel Club said: “The Kennel Club has long campaigned for a ban on electric shock collars and we are so pleased to be welcoming MPs to this event to demonstrate, alongside our fellow animal welfare charities, a shared commitment to ensuring this is implemented.

“In August 2018, the then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, announced electric shock collars would be banned, describing the collars as punitive and harmful. It is time for the Government to come good on this promise and introduce regulations to ban these dangerous and unnecessary devices imminently.”

Collars administering electric shocks have already been banned in Wales and condemned in Scottish guidance. In 2018, the Westminster Government committed to introducing a ban when parliamentary time allowed, but despite this, it is still legal to use them in England.

Dr Rachel Casey, director of canine behaviour and research at the Dogs Trust, says: “It is both unnecessary and cruel to use these collars on dogs. They are painful and have a serious negative impact on dogs’ wellbeing. Worse still, they can be a mechanism for abuse if used in anger.

“These devices have no place in modern dog training. We know that positive reward-based methods are at least as effective. We know that using e-collars impacts on dog welfare and risks causing further behaviour problems. It is past time for a ban.”