Train police in how pets are used by domestic abusers, says charity

Campaigners want officers to learn about clear links' between harming animals and harming humans

Police should be trained in how pets can be used in coercive control cases, according to a charity that found a troubling gap" in awareness about the links between violence against animals and violence against humans.

A report from the Naturewatch Foundation found that only 60% of police forces in England and Wales teach officers about pets being used as tools of coercion, punishment and manipulation, even though more than half of UK households have a pet.