A DORSET vet has described the plight of animals in Egypt as “shocking”.

Luke Gamble, 34, returned yesterday after a two-day spearhead mission to assess how bad conditions are.

“Animals are literally starving to death,” said Mr Gamble, who runs the Pilgrims Veterinary Practice in Fordingbridge and Cranborne.

“The camels, donkeys and horses completely rely on the tourism trade.”

He said people were forced to abandon their cats and dogs during the turmoil of the revolution and the country’s economic paralysis.

“The biggest animal shelter in Cairo is supposed to have 280 animals, but now it has 600,” said Mr Gamble, from Martin, near Sixpenny Handley.

Mr Gamble, the founder of Worldwide Veterinary Service, said he was acting on behalf of several animal welfare NGOs and three teams of vets would be flying out with help based on his findings.

He also took £7,000 of antibiotics, bandages and anaesthetics with him.