Celebrities including Ricky Gervais, Paul O'Grady, Sue Perkins, Harry Hill and Tracey Ullman have teamed up with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to star in its new campaign, #NotFunny, which calls for the government to increase the sentence for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years.

Gervais and co are urging the public to pledge their support and email their MP to call for tougher punishments by visiting www.battersea.org.uk/NotFunny, and he commented 'It’s sickening to hear about innocent dogs and cats enduring terrible suffering at the hands of humans and knowing the law does nothing to protect them, or deter people from committing these acts of cruelty. Six months in prison is nowhere near long enough for people who choose to abuse, torture and kill animals. You could get more for fly-tipping'.