A Haverfordwest man has been given a contingent destruction order by a court over the XL Bully dog he owns.

Forty-eight-year-old Simon Bailey, of Camrose appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court this month (October 1) and pleaded guilty to having in his possession, a fighting dog, known as Bonnie, a Pitt Bull in Aldington, a village in Worcestershire on March 17 this year.

However, the magistrates deemed that the dog doesn't currently pose a significant danger to the public and that the justices were also satisfied that the defendant is a fit and proper person to own the dog.

The magistrates imposed a Contingent Destruction Order on the dog because it is a banned breed. This requires the owner to obtain a certificate of exemption and stated the dog should be neutered, micro-chipped and insured.

The magistrates warned Bailey that if he does not comply with this order, he would be committing an offence which may result in the dog being seized and destroyed.

The defendant was fined £40 at the hearing and also ordered to pay a mandatory surcharge of £16.

As of 1 February 2024, the UK Government added XL Bully dogs to a list of dogs which are banned in England and Wales.