Ten men were today convicted in connection with a “sadistic” organised dog fight at the end of the biggest dog-fighting trial in England in 140 years.

The fight, which claimed the lives of two pit bull terriers, was staged in a kitchen showroom in Birmingham and inflicted “unimaginable” pain and suffering on the dogs.

Graphic video footage shown during the trial at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court revealed that the owners of the terriers, named Bullet and Elvis, encouraged the animals to fight by shouting and clapping.

Squeals of pain and phrases such as “shake him” and “come on boy” could be heard on the videos as the dogs bit each other so badly that one was left covered in blood with barely any hair around its face.

Both animals were found seriously injured and bleeding heavily when police raided the showroom after hearing noises coming from the premises.

One dog, which had been pushed up into ceiling tiles in an attempt to hide it, died a few hours later, and the other was so badly injured it had to be put down.

A carpeted fighting pit - created by arranging kitchen units and desks - was found in the premises, along with a stereo, medical kits, an electronic treadmill and a portable kennel.

District Judge Kal Qureshi found five men guilty of attending the fight, and five others guilty of the same offence and of more serious offences, following a three-week trial.

All 10 defendants had denied the charges against them, including one man who claimed that he thought the dog fight was a Blues party.

Another man’s claim that one of the pit bulls involved in the fight was not his was dismissed by Mr Qureshi as “palpably untrue” after the defendant referred to the animal as “my dog” on three separate occasions while giving evidence.

The district judge issued fines ranging between £750 and £1,400 to the five men found guilty of just one offence.

The other five defendants convicted in connection with the dog fight, which took place in February last year, were remanded on bail for sentence next month, along with two other men who admitted several offences prior to the trial.

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