Warning to pet owners as temperatures soar higher than the Med

THE Government today issued an alert to dog owners as forecasters said London will enjoy temperatures warmer than parts of the Mediterranean this weekend.

The 25C forecast triggered an alert from the Department of Environment over pet safety, with experts warning owners not to let their dogs run "too much".

Harvey Locke, president of the British Veterinary Association which issued the advice with the Government, said: "It is up to the owner to stop the animal before it suffers." He said it was "important" not to jog or run with dogs in the hot weather.

Nigel Gibbens, chief vet at the Department for Environment, urged dog owners to follow simple guidelines. They should not leave pets in vehicles in the heat, make sure they have water to drink, good ventilation and protection from the sun in the hottest part of the day - when it was best not to walk them.

Mr Gibbens said: "You'd think that everybody would know about the dangers of leaving animals in hot cars but it was still happening last year when we saw some really tragic cases of dogs dying because they were trapped inside cars in high temperatures."

The warning came as the Met Office said it would be ideal barbecue weather tomorrow, getting cooler over the following days with a chance of some rain.

Sports fans were making the most of the sunshine today, including model Erin O'Connor at Ladies Day at Epsom, where Carlton House, owned by the Queen, is due to run tomorrow in the Derby.