FORMER Ribble Valley MP Lord Waddington has welcomed government moves to scrap the quarantine system, which he blames for the death of his pet dog.

The ex-Tory Cabinet Minister blames the death of Basil, a Norfolk Terrier, on the six months the animal spent in kennels when his owner returned from three years as governor of Bermuda.

From next April, Britain's pet owners will be able to travel to Western Europe without putting their animals into quarantine.

To take advantage of the new Pet Travel Scheme (known as PETS), travellers must pass through Heathrow airport, Dover, Portsmouth or the Channel Tunnel.

Pets travelling from Britain or entering the country from abroad will have to be fully vaccinated against rabies and have an indentifying microchip inserted under their skin. Details to be recorded by a vet on a certificate, including a later a blood test, must confirm the vaccination's effectiveness.

The process will cost £150 with a further £30 a year for annual booster injections, compared to £2,000 for six months in quarantine.

Lord Waddington, a former Home Secretary and Leader of the Lords, who lives in Sabden, said: "I am very pleased about this. I am delighted at the progress that has been made. It is long overdue. It would have been nice if Manchester could have been in the first wave, but I am not unduly bothered.

"The important thing is to get a pilot scheme going rather than waiting for everywhere to be able to run the system. I am sure Manchester airport will follow in due course. I welcome the cautious approach to this issue and I am just pleased something is being done." Initially the countries affected by the scheme will be Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vatican City.

If the pilot scheme is a success, it will be extended to other British airports and docks and other rabies-free countries such as Japan, Australia and New Zealand - and possibly the USA and Canada - in the next three years.

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