Dogs were fed mouldy, maggot-infested food and kept in dark spaces too small for them to turn around.

Morag Jackson has been banned from keeping the animals for 15 years after 36 dogs were found in "cramped, dirty and unhygienic" conditions by Scottish SPCA inspectors at an address in Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire.

The 54-year-old licensed breeder was found guilty of four offences committed between July and September 2015 when she appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday.

The court was told inspectors, along with a vet and police officers, attended Ms Jackson's property in August 2015 following a call from a member of the public.

They found "a number" of dogs housed in pens between two wooden sheds and a garage with little bedding and a lack of food and water.

The only food they saw during their search was a mouldy tub of food teeming with maggots which had been left out for a Yorkshire Terrier and her newborn pups.

During a search of the garage, a West Highland Terrier named Abbey was found in a small pink carrier on a shelf.

The carrier was covered with cloth, had no bedding, food or water and was too small for the dog to turn around.

Almost no light could enter the box due to the cloth and rubbish surrounding it, the court was told.

A vet said Abbey was underweight with a severe skin disease and almost total hair loss.

In total, 36 dogs were removed from the premises and are in care at Scottish SPCA centres across the country.

The charity said most have made a full recovery, but a number are still receiving treatment.

Alongside the ban on keeping dogs, Jackson was given a community payback order which requires her to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

Gary Aitken, procurator fiscal for wildlife and environment said: "I welcome today's sentence and the granting of the order preventing Morag Jackson from keeping dogs.

"This was one of the worst cases of gross, widespread and indiscriminate neglect which the Crown has dealt with in recent times.

"These dogs were caused terrible and unnecessary suffering and Jackson failed to provide them with a suitable environment."