A man from Littlebourne who trained his dogs to fight badgers has been told he faces prison.

Steven Alston’s Patterdale terriers were put on treadmills to increase strength before being dropped into setts where they would fight the animals while he filmed them.

The 49-year-old’s activities – which caused serious injuries to his dogs – were discovered after his wife’s mobile malfunctioned and made repeated silent 999 calls to police, who treated them as emergencies.

Warning: Graphic image below

Officers went to the house in Pineside Road and found three dogs with wounded snouts and jaws.

A district judge at Dover Magistrates Court heard that the injuries were consistent with being bitten by a badger or fox.

Alston admitted providing dogs for badger and fox baiting and failing to get proper veterinary treatment for the injured terriers.

Charges against his wife Lucy Alston, 44, were dropped.

Badger baiting involves setting dogs against badgers, who are normally docile creatures but will defend themselves ferociously when attacked.

The blood sport was outlawed in the UK in 1835, but underground badger baiting clubs are still known to exist.

Paul Taylor, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court officers saw special kennels used to keep dogs in at Alston’s property.

The dogs would be put down badger sets and fox holes and the subsequent fight would be filmed.

When the animal charity’s officers got a search warrant they found pictures and a treadmill.

“Your culpability is high as you were going out to kill wild animals" - Judge Justin Barron

Alston claimed he was looking after the dogs for a man called Tom, who dumped them on him claiming he had no choice but to take them.

He said if he had taken them to a vet the authorities would have been alerted.

Judge Justin Barron said: “Photographs show the extent of the injuries. You were using dogs to fight wild animals.

“Your culpability is high as you were going out to kill wild animals. This is the highest level of seriousness and I am actively considering a custodial sentence.”

The case was adjourned until May 11 for probation reports.