Charlie has been branded the ugliest dog in Sussex. He also has a bit of an odour problem.

But the three-year-old shar-pei is just looking for someone to love him.

The pongy pooch was neglected by his former owner, who was prosecuted by the RSPCA for causing unnecessary suffering.

Charlie, who is described as looking like a hippopotamus, can hardly see because his previous owner left ulcers over his eyes untreated.

He lives at the Mount Noddy Animal Centre in Chichester, which is run by the RSPCA, and is looking for a new family.

Inspector Barbara Kvalheim, of the animal charity, said Charlie had a wonderful temperament.

She said: "His sight is not good. And he does smell a bit, so he will need to be bathed at least once a week to keep him clean. But he has a great dog and has a nice way about him."

She fears Charlie may be overlooked for re-homing because prospective owners will want a more attractive dog. She said: "He is ugly and looks a bit like a hippo but he is a lovely dog and needs lots of care and attention and he will make a wonderful pet for all manner of people."

Charlie was taken away from his owner, who was ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service by Brighton magistrates.

The mutt's chance of a new start was assured earlier this month when the owner, who was convicted in February, abandoned his court appeal against the conviction.

A shar-pei puppy, known for its wrinkles which it grows into as it gets older, can cost more than £500 and sometimes much more.

Jenny Baker, welfare co-ordinator of the Shar-Pei Club of Great Britain, said: "They are lovely, adorable dogs and make ideal pets, although you do have to be fairly firm with them when they are very young."

Mrs Baker, who has owned shar-pei dogs for 20 years, said the breed dated back to about 220BC in China.

They were bred as hunting and herding dogs but went into a rapid decline when the government in China introduced a tax on dogs.

In 1947, all breeding was banned and the shar-pei faced extinction.

In the Seventies, a Hong Kong breeder appealed through American magazines for help in saving the breed which had become the rarest dog in the world.

Since the first dog arrived in the UK in 1981, the breed has become popular as a pet.

Former EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer, who played Bianca Butcher in the soap, is regularly photographed taking her pet shar-pei out on the town with her friends.