ABUSERS of animals could be jailed for up to five years, in a strengthening of the law announced by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

The Government has published a draft bill which would increase the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty tenfold, from six months to five years, in England and Wales. The draft bill also sets out that the government “must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing government policy”.

It follows criticism from many when Conservative MPs voted recently against importing into British law an EU protocol which declared animals to be ‘sentient.’

The draft bill is part of a range of environmental legislation to be brought to parliament this session; a bill to ban microbeads – tiny pieces of plastic which are easily swallowed by marine animals, and one to make CCTV mandatory in abattoirs will also be introduced along withy a ban on the trade in ivory.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “As we leave the EU we will deliver a Green Brexit, not only maintaining but enhancing animal welfare standards. Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so we are writing that principle into law and ensuring that we protect their welfare.”

“Our plans will also increase sentences for those who commit the most heinous acts of animal cruelty to five years in jail. We are a nation of animal lovers so we will make Brexit work not just for citizens but for the animals we love and cherish too.”

Worcester MP, Robin Walker, who is Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Exiting the European Union, welcomed the news.

He said: “This Bill strengthens in law the principle of animal sentience, something which a lot of my constituents contacted me to express their concerns on recently following misleading reports in the press that suggested the Government was in some way denying this principle.

“As I made clear at the time, this was never the case. In fact, it was the UK that introduced the principle of animal sentience to the EU in the first place, and was a principle that was already reflected in UK domestic law.”

“Existing EU law does not provide the protections animals need and deserve. It allows for practices across Europe which we believe should end, such as puppy farming – an issue we can only tackle once we leave the European Union and have the freedom to enforce higher standards. Another area where we have pledged to improve controls is on the live export of animals, something that existing EU laws actually encourage.”

“The EU (Withdrawal) Bill was not the appropriate legislative vehicle for these reforms – this new Bill, dedicated solely to the protection of animals from cruelty and abuse, serves as one part of a wider programme of reform to cement the UK’s position as a global leader on animal welfare as we leave the EU.”