ESSEX has been placed tenth on a list of the most reported areas for dog-fighting.

The list, which covers England and Wales, places Greater London at the top, with 924 calls to the RSPCA between 2006 and 2015.

The West Midlands comes second with 469. Essex had 112 reports during the period.

The charity released the figures to the BBC and called for tougher sentences.

Mike Butcher, chief inspector of the RSCPA’s special operations unit, said: “The idea of a six-month sentence is a joke. The idea that you only serve half of what you get is even more of a joke.

“It’s no deterrent at all.”