THE number of animal cruelty complaints and convictions in West Yorkshire rose last year, the RSPCA revealed today.

Inspectors from the charity were involved in a total of 224 successful convictions across the county in 2016, up 36.6 per cent compared to 2015.

In addition the number of people convicted by the charity of animal cruelty rose by 16.0 per cent to 94, and the total number of complaints investigated climbed by 2.9 per cent to reach 7,920.

All three figures fell in comparison to four years ago.

West Yorkshire had the highest number of people convicted of cruelty to animals, and was second only to Greater London when it came to the number of complaints investigated.

In the North, RSPCA inspectors investigated 42,984 complaints in 2016, an increase of 5.1 per cent on the year.

However, both across the region and nationally the number of people convicted of animal cruelty went down – and the issuing of advice and improvement notices went up.

One shocking case highlighted by the RSPCA involved badgers being dug out of a sett and a waiting pack of dogs encouraged to attack them while the ordeal was filmed on a mobile phone.

Five Bradford men appeared in court after the footage was posted on Instagram by one of the gang. Four of the men pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges and a fifth man was later found guilty.

Kaider Tariq, 22, of Dalby Avenue, Bradford Moor, and Nathan Niland, 26, of Idle Road, Idle, were jailed for 24 weeks in June for their role in the “abhorrent” case.

Two other men involved, Tristan Asbury, 18, of Lymington Drive, Holme Wood, and Luke Lowther, 26, of Farway, Holme Wood, were jailed for 18 weeks and 12 weeks respectively.

A further member of the gang, Peter Walker, 21, formerly of Shirley Road, Bierley, was jailed for 26 weeks in October, after being heard laughing as he filmed the badgers being savaged by dogs.

RSPCA inspector Danielle Grimshaw said: “The videos show the men putting dogs down a sett and encouraging them onto an escaping badger, and pulling badgers out and throwing them to waiting dogs.

“They’re goading the dogs, they’re laughing. All the time you can hear the badgers screaming. They hit the badgers with spades, hold them down while they’re being mauled and kick them like footballs.”

RSPCA special operations unit chief inspector Ian Briggs said: “This was abhorrent, organised animal cruelty.

“These men arranged to travel from Bradford over to the York area specifically for the purpose of torturing and killing badgers.”

He thanked the person who spotted the Instagram posts and reported their concerns, urging others to do the same.

Dermot Murphy, assistant director of the RSPCA Inspectorate, said of the data published today in the charity’s prosecutions annual report: “It never fails to shock me when I look back on the extreme instances of animal cruelty the RSPCA has been called upon to investigate.

“It continues to outrage and sadden me that people can be capable of such deliberate brutality towards animals, but equally it drives me on to ensure that perpetrators of animal cruelty are put before the courts.

“I believe that the figures from last year show that we’re not becoming crueller, but that people are simply less willing to stand by and do nothing if they think an animal is suffering.”

To report any concerns about animal cruelty, contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.