Dog owners are being urged to make sure their four-legged friends are properly microchipped as Bonfire Night approaches.

The plea has been issued by the Kennel Club, which experienced a rise in calls to its lost pet helpline at the end of October and beginning of November last year.

A spokesperson said: “Compulsory microchipping – introduced in April 2016 – means that more than 90 per cent of dogs are now microchipped but statistics show that 53 per cent of microchips have incorrect owner details.

“Should a pet go missing on or around Bonfire Night and is subsequently found and scanned, the reunification process will not work if contact details are out of date.”

For more information, visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk.