AN RSPCA officer said dog fighting was a ‘nasty business that needed to be stamped out’.

Chief Inspector of the RSPCA Special Operations Unit, Ian Briggs, said complaints about the practice nationally had increased from around 20 calls in 2004 to around 350 last year.

The RSPCA have released this shocking video footage seized from Accrington man Liaquat Ali in order to show the effect of this brutal bloodsport.

Officers discovered two video clips of dog fights on Ali's mobile phone.

One was a fight in an unknown Accrington back street, which included Ali’s pet Enzo, and one of an organised indoor fight at an unknown venue, which had been bluetoothed to Ali’s phone.

Mr Briggs said: “There is a trend for gangs of youths to use pit bulls as part of their image.

“It’s not just about fast cars and flash clothes any more.

"They have to have the ‘hardest’ dog to gain status in the group.

“In Accrington we received dozens of complaints about fights in back alleys and in parks. The number taking place behind closed doors is unknown.

“This led to Operation Musket and a number of raids at addresses linked to Ali where illegal pit bulls and a fighting venue were discovered.”

Mr Briggs said people involved in dog fighting did not care about dogs as pets.

He said: “They’re just tools.

“These cases are the most brutal and violent misuse of dogs the RSPCA come across and is becoming more common.

“The more information we uncover the more leads we get and the more there appears to be under the surface.

“The incidents we come across are just the tip of the iceberg. We are always looking for more information on these cases – in Accrington as elsewhere.

“The scene as a whole is becoming something of an industry as there is a lot of money to be made in gambling.

"There is also a sideline in breeding dogs, as a dog with a pure bloodline is easily worth £1,000.

"It is a nasty business and it needs to be stamped out.”