A vet admitted by-passing rabies laws and illegally importing puppies into the country.

Viktor Molnar, 58, pleaded guilty to bringing in five miniature 'teacup' dachshund puppies and running an illegal pet shop from his former home.

Molnar, who gave his address in court as Darenth Fishing complex, Darenth, Dartford, but is originally from Hungary, advertised himself as a mobile vet and sold a puppy to a woman for £700, at his previous home in Prestwich, Bury.

The conviction was the result of an investigation by Bury Council's licensing service, which became involved after the woman bought a puppy called Janet from Molnar.

The puppy was sick as she took it back to her home in Scotland and it was taken to a vet who said the dog was between just eight and 12-weeks old, much younger than it was suggested on its vaccination card, thus to young to have been legally brought into the UK.

The vaccination card did not show any record of rabies vaccination nor tapeworm treatment, so the vet contacted his local authority and the animal was placed in quarantine.

The information was passed to Bury Council and inspectors visited his home in February 2016.

Inspectors found four adult dogs and five miniature dachshund puppies inside and was told the puppies has arrived the night before having been purchased online by Molnar, who had Hungarian issued pet passports for the pups.

Another vets said the pups were 12-weeks old, rather than the 17 weeks indicated by their passports, again the puppies were placed in quarantine as they were again deemed to young to have been vaccinated.

Molnar appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court, and pleaded guilty to offences under the Rabies Order 1974 and the Animal Health Act 1981, and to an offence under the Pet Animals Act 1951 for using his premises a a pet shop without a licence.

He was given a 270-hour community order and disqualified from operating a pet shop or a boarding facilities for 10 years.

Molnar was also ordered to pay compensation of £2,686.93 to the woman who purchased the dog and o £2,500 court costs.