A dog breeder from Kilburn who swung a sack of Jack Russell puppies as he sold them in the street has been banned from keeping pets for three years.

Kevin Mellon, 47, of Dynham Road, hawked the hounds for £70 each from a Soho pavement, Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard.

A horrified passer by called the police but only four of the six dogs in the bag were retrieved - one was bought and another snatched by a passer-by.

Mellon was also seen to kick a mature bitch thought to have given birth to the animals, which was later returned to his accomplice 49-year-old Iona Mohammed - after it had been neutered.

The couple appeared in the dock together.

Prosecutor Amanda McCabe said: “A witness says that at about 1am, he saw a crowd gathering around some Jack Russell terriers.

“Mellon was shouting: ‘I’m selling the puppies.’

“At one point, Mr Mellon began to swing the bag around while there were puppies inside the bag.

“A witness is also said to have seen Mr Mellon kicking the adult dog in a violent movement.”

Miss McCabe added Mellon had been banned from keeping dogs in 2010 - ‘conviction number twenty on his record’.

Ifreke Asuquo, who represented the pair, said Mohammed was on benefits and Mellon’s alcoholism caused the offending.

He added: “No damage was deemed to have been endured by those dogs at all.

Mellon, who was convicted of failing to ensure animal welfare and selling animals in the street, must pay £110 costs and serve a six-month community order with an alcohol treatment requirement.

Mohammed, of the same address, was convicted of failing to ensure animal welfare and selling animals in the street.

She must pay £170 costs but was not banned from keeping dogs.