The RSPCA investigated 27,019 animal cruelty cases in the south west last year - a rise of more than five per cent compared to the previous 12 months.

New figures show that the charity’s inspectors investigated 74 new reports of animal cruelty in south west every day, including the case of Pandora, a horse with deep wounds to her neck caused by a collar.

Her owner, from Hampshire, was disqualified from keeping all animals for three years, made to pay £300 costs and do 180 hours unpaid work after he admitted causing unnecessary suffering to his filly.

But the RSPCA figures show that there were more complaints made to them about incidents in Hampshire than anywhere else within the south west region.

The total of 4,131 places the county ninth in the country for the number of reports.

Nationally there were 400 allegations of animal cruelty every day last year or a total of 148,604 and a rise of nearly five per cent from 2015.

Calls to the RSPCA’s 24-hour cruelty hotline also rose by nearly 4 per cent, which amounted to more than 1.15million calls last year - averaging one every 27 seconds.

But the RSPCA’s leading inspector believes the surge in calls to Britain’s biggest animal welfare charity is down to the public becoming more aware and less tolerant of animal cruelty and neglect, rather than a sign that people are becoming more cruel.

Dermot Murphy, Assistant Director of the RSPCA Inspectorate, said: “People are increasingly likely to share images or footage on their social media accounts of animals they believe are not being cared for properly, while many will see material their friends have shared and then contact us about them.

“Either way, our officers are under increased pressure having to respond to more calls and investigate more complaints, but it is thanks to their dedication, as well as RSPCA staff and volunteers across England and Wales that we are able to transform the lives of tens of thousands of animals each year.”

The number of people convicted of animal cruelty offences in the region was 93, down from 104 in 2015. Nationally 684 people were convicted, down from 754 in 2015.

The majority of complaints received by the RSPCA in 2016 continued to be about the welfare of dogs (84,994), followed by cats (36,156) and equines (19,530).

There was also a rise in the number of owners who were offered and accepted welfare improvement advice and notices - up to 84,725, compared with 81,475 in 2015.

Mr Murphy added: “People might see these figures as a negative, and I certainly take no cheer from knowing that any animal has suffered. What I do take pride in is knowing that because of the RSPCA’s intervention we have prevented many more animals from suffering at the hands of those who we have successfully investigated and brought before the courts.”

TOP 10 COUNTIES BY COMPLAINTS IN 2016:

COUNTY COMPLAINTS

1. London 11,812

2. West Yorkshire 7,920

3. Greater Manchester 7,708

4. West Midlands 6,834

5. Kent 5,475

6. Lancashire 5,124

7. South Yorkshire 4,806

8. Essex 4,566

9. Hampshire 4,131

10. Merseyside 3,818