ANIMAL welfare campaigners are calling on the Westminster government to ban trapping animals with snares after the Scottish Parliament enacted a ban.

The League Against Cruel Sports welcomed Holyrood’s ban. Snare trapping is already banned in Wales.

A ban on snares in England was promised by Labour in its general election manifesto.

The league said government figures show up to 200,000 “barbaric” wire snares are hidden in the English countryside at any one time.

Snares tighten around the neck, torso or legs of animals causing immense suffering and pain before the animal is shot or faces a lingering death.

Will Morton, the league’s head of public affairs, said: “Snares are cruel and indiscriminate traps which have now thankfully been outlawed by both the Scottish and Welsh governments.

“We welcomed the manifesto commitment by the Labour Party to improve animal welfare and ban snares and now look forward to the government announcing new legislation to ban snares in England as a matter of priority.”

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was contacted for comment.