The owner of a puppy has seen her beloved placed in quarantine despite having a pet passport and being chipped.

Mandy Douglas has revealed how she was travelling back to the UK from France when her English springer spaniel puppy, Merlot, was taken from her.

Ms Douglas was upset to learn that even though Merlot had been microchipped the authorities could not locate the chip and told her the dog had to be placed in quarantine.

"It was terrible. We got to the animal check-in at Calais but when the customs officials tried to scan Merlot they couldn't find the microchip," she said.

"We really are ripping our hair out here. We just miss our dog and want her back home. It has all been very stressful for us and for Merlot."

However, a vet came to Ms Douglas' aid and after escorting them off the boat located the faulty chip which is currently being examined by its makers in Spain.

In the meantime Merlot has to remain locked-up until the chip details can be verified.

Figures from Defra show that the number of pets that have entered the UK under the Pets Travel Scheme totals 502,510.