A couple who failed to feed their dogs enough food have been banned from keeping animals for five years.

Neil Mummary, 35, and Melissa Lee, 30, of Dorset Street, Brighton, were convicted in their absence at an earlier hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court of causing unnecessary suffering to two German Shepherds.

The case had been adjourned for sentence.

David Buck, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court the couple were living in a converted horse box at a travellers' site in Coldean Lane, Brighton, in the summer when an RSPCA inspector visited and noticed both dogs were thin.

Inspector Barbara Kvalheim warned the couple to take their dogs to a vet as soon as possible but when she returned to the site two weeks later the dogs had not been treated and were in a worse condition.

The dogs were taken into RSPCA care and ownership was passed to the Horsham-based charity, which found new homes for them.

The RSPCA spent £417 on veterinary bills and £708 on boarding the dogs until they were rehomed.

Ronnie Tremlett, defending, said: "This is not a case where any deliberate suffering has been caused.

"Both of them in the past have shown they can behave responsibly to animals in their care."

District Judge Kathy Marshall said to the couple: "This court needs to protect animals from being placed in a position of being caused suffering."

They were both ordered to pay £150 to the RSPCA towards the cost of the vet and boarding bills.