Members of Parliament spent a day in the doghouse when they raised awareness of a charity’s Christmas campaign.

Enfield MPs David Burrowes and Nick De Bois attended an event at Westminster organised by The Dogs Trust to commemorate 35 years of its slogan “A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas”.

The phrase was coined by the UK’s largest dog welfare charity to highlight the issue of dogs being bought as presents and then abandoned when the novelty wears off.

The politicians took a festive sleigh ride pulled by a pack of huskies as well as learning more about the charity’s work.

Mr Burrowes said: “As a proud dog owner, I know that a dog is a lifetime commitment and should never be bought on impulse as if it were a new television or a pair of shoes.”

Mr de Bois said: “I would urge anyone thinking of buying a dog or puppy as a Christmas present to ‘paws’ before doing so, and remember that A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas.”