A crackdown on puppy farming in being backed by MP Simon Hart.

Dog owner Mr Hart is supporting the Government probe into the practice, and third party puppy sales, of which there is more in Carmarthenshire than any other part of the UK.

He visited a puppy farm in the county as part of a Select Committee investigation, ahead of a possible formal consultation on whether to ban third parties from selling puppies.

Said Mr Hart: "Generally speaking, I think 'banning' things may sound good, but so often it either fails to achieve its aims, or has unforeseen consquences that actually make things worse.

"But with puppy farms, it's hard to see how they can ever meet the standards we now expect as standard.

"Buying and looking after a dog is a big deal, and if that means we may have to travel further and pay more to ensure the pup is healthy and its parents properly cared for, then so we should."

More than 143.000 people had signed a petition calling for the measure, which triggered a Westminster debate.

An estimated 80,000 dogs are sold in the 'legalised puppy trade' and the Government has already announced a tightening of the law on puppy sales.

It has introduced a minimum age of eight weeks for dogs to be sold, and licensed breeders are required to show a dog to prospective purchasers in the presence of its mother.

But some campaigners say this does not go far enough. The petition wants puppies to only be sold via rescue centres or reputable breeders from their litters - not via middlemen.

Said environment minister George Eustace: "We do anticipate bringing forward a consultation based on the call for evidence."