THE South Bucks branch of the RSPCA is calling for tougher laws to combat animal cruelty as new figures reveal convictions have more than doubled over the past year.

There were 2,494 complaints of animal cruelty in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire last year leading to ten successful convictions, up from just four in 2003.

South Bucks RSPCA inspector Laura Breedon said the RSPCA wants the Government to strengthen animal cruelty laws, after recording a 78 per cent rise in the number of cases of owners neglecting their animals.

She said: "The P in RSPCA stands for prevention and new animal welfare legislation could help us do just that.

"It is terrible, but the figures highlight the fact that animals really do have to suffer a lot before we can do anything about it. If we were able to act sooner with the backing of new laws, we would be able to stop a lot of suffering and deprive people of animals before they can cause suffering."

The animal charity also dealt with 5,103 rescues and collections across the two counties last year, with advice offered by the RSPCA being ignored on 15 occasions, compared to just one occasion in 2003.

The RSPCA is hoping that an animal welfare bill, due to be passed in parliament in October, will help protect animals before they suffer, giving inspectors much more practical power to prosecute. The charity has been campaigning for the last seven years and hope the legislation will come into force sometime next year.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "The new legislation is needed. It looks at the old laws which date back to 1911, puts them together and updates them. It will bring the welfare standards for pets in line with farm animals who are protected by certain EU directives."