A woman who kept a litter of puppies starving in a cage full of dog excrement while pocketing hundreds of pounds by selling them on has been let off by a sheriff.

Police raided Gemma Muir's council flat in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, in October 2008 following a tip-off from shocked neighbours.

They found dog faeces on the floor of the hall and living room and three Staffordshire Bull Terrier pups whimpering in the cage in the corner.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that three-month old puppies were severely undernourished and their spines and rib cages were showing.

The court heard they came from a litter of nine born to an adult dog and bitch owned by Muir after they "accidentally" mated.  Muir admitted she had sold their six siblings for £120 to £160 each.

The three puppies were checked by a vet and found to be severely emaciated and underweight, and the vet confirmed that she considered all three  had been caused unnecessary suffering by not been being fed adequate nutrition, and by the owner not getting veterinary attention for them.

The pups were taken into care and later re-homed by officials from the Scottish SPCA.

Muir, 19, admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the puppies. Her lawyer said Muir had been working as a school cleaner at the time the pups were born, and after her two dogs mated she found it difficult to cope with the puppies and was under financial pressure.

However,  the adult dogs were found to be in good condition.

Sheriff David Mackie said he was convinced that Muir was an "animal lover" - and admonished her, allowing her to walk free from court without  further punishment.

He said: "I am sorry that this has brought you to court.

"You have learned the hard way how easy it is to get into difficulties with animals.

"You have now demonstrated you are looking after your adult dogs well and I have no doubt you are a lover of animals."