CREWE Cat Protection League organisers have welcomed government proposals to have every pet in Britain injected with a £20 identity tag.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was last week reported to be considering the plan, which would combat the problems of strays and anti-rabies laws, reducing the need for quarantine when bringing pets back off holiday.

The device, which would be concealed under the animal's skin, would be quickly identified under scanners.

Tony Robinson, joint co-ordinator of the league's Crewe branch, was fully behind the scheme.

"It's a very good idea, not only from the aspect of travelling abroad and quarantine, but we have a tremendous number of lost cats and dogs in the area and it would help to relocate them with their owners," he said.

"The cost does bother me. The price of the chip itself is just a fraction of the overall charge. I would hope that vets carrying out the tagging would not take the opportunity to artificially inflate the prices," he added

He felt the scheme could take the cost of keeping a pet beyond the reach of pensioners and people on income support.

He hoped they would get a reduction and plenty of notice before the rule was enforced.

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