A man who neglected his puppy, which was suffering from brain damage, has been banned from keeping dogs for four years and fined £1000.

Alistair Stuart, 36, of Keith Crescent, Edinburgh, was sentenced at the city's sheriff court. Stuart pled guilty to failing to provide necessary veterinary ­attention for his five- month-old Yorkshire terrier puppy named Angel, contrary to the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006.

Scottish SPCA inspector June Chalcroft said: "We were contacted after Angel was taken to a vets. She was in an extremely bad way and had clinical signs of brain damage and, sadly, the vet had no option but to put her to sleep."