A PET shop owner was handed a one-year conditional discharge for falsely describing a puppy.

Girolama Pontearso, owner of the Pet Aquaria Garden in Churchfield Road, Acton sold a dog which she described as a Pomeranian in March 2000 for £200.

However, the buyer's vet said that the animal was not a Pomeranian and when she returned to request the pedigree papers Ms Pontearso was unable to provide them.

Some time later a show judge recognised the dog's features as a King Charles spaniel and observed it was bigger than a Pomeranian.

The jury at Isleworth Crown Court on November 13 convicted Ms Pontearso on one count under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 relating to a written description of the dog as a Pomeranian, but found her not guilty on two counts relating to verbal descriptions.

The judge said she had borne in mind that Ms Pontearso was of previous good character and imposed a one year conditional discharge .

The complainant was granted compensation of £100 and the council awarded a contribution of £500 towards costs.

Trading standards boss Helen Wilkie said: "We take complaints of misdescribed animal breeds very seriously. If in future an owner wished to sell offspring puppies, their value may be worth considerably less if pedigree parents cannot be traced through their family tree."

f=helvetica s=6 l=8mchoueke@london.newsquest.co.uko