Pit bull ring uncovered in Britain

Aug 31,2007 00:00 by UPI

LONDON - An organized crime network is allegedly smuggling illegal pit bull terriers to Britain and training them for use in dogfighting.

A BBC Panorama news team reported that the dogs were smuggled across Europe using false documents.

The dogs have been banned in Britain since 1991 and dogfighting has been illegal since the 19th century, the BBC said.

One of the largest of the alleged gangs is from Northern Ireland.

Stephen Philpott, from the Ulster Society for the Protection of Animals, told the BBC the gang is training and selling dogs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and London.