Police forces in Wales have been asked to stop using electric shock collars to train police dogs amid cruelty fears.

The Association of Chief Police Officers has urged all forces to suspend use of the collars on the advice of the RSPCA and other animal welfare groups.

Both South Wales Police and Gwent Police have used the collars, which deliver an electric shock to dogs when triggered by the handler via a remote control unit.

The move comes amid a review of all police dog training methods launched after the death of police dog Acer during training in Essex in 1997.

Some eight forces in all are understood to be using the collars.

The ACPO sub-committee reviewing dog training recommended taking electric collars and pinch collars off the list of approved equipment earlier this month and a ban is expected to be confirmed in April.

But Sir John Evans, ACPO president and Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall urged forces to stop using them in the meantime.

He said: "Police dogs are invaluable in the fight against crime and the service is committed to ensuring that the welfare of police dogs is, and remains, a paramount consideration."

Pinch collars, which fit tightly around the neck of the dog, work in a similar way.

A year ago a former police officer was jailed after it emerged that police dogs in the Essex force had been hung by their necks over fences and kicked by their handlers.

Other forces which have used the collars recently include Cambridgeshire, Humberside, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire and West Midlands.

A further 12 forces are understood to retain the collars but are not using them at present.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: "We can confirm that we have the item of equipment which was ACPO approved, but we had strict guidelines in relation to its use and who can use it.

"A country-wide review is currently being held by the ACPO dog committee and the use of the equipment has been suspended until the final review is submitted".