Workington MP Sue Hayman has met RSPCA inspectors to highlight the importance of animal welfare.

The MP, who is Labour's Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: "I’m proud to support the RSPCA and the work that their inspectors do to protect animals on the ground in Cumbria. It was fantastic to meet some of their hard working inspectors and to thank them on behalf of the animal lovers in our area for all that they do.

"I know how important animal welfare issues are to my constituents and it is an issue that I intend to take up on their behalf in this Parliament.

"I am looking forward to working with the RSPCA to ensure that animal welfare is also a key part of the Brexit debate and that the protection of the idea that animals are sentient beings continues to be enshrined in UK law after we leave the EU. Other key priorities include working to end live animal exports, reforming the Common Agricultural Policy to encourage better farm animal welfare, and improving food labelling."

The RSPCA received more than 1.1 million calls to its cruelty line last year and investigated nearly 160,000 complaints of animal cruelty.