Labradors are no longer the most popular breed of dog as French bulldogs take the top spot.

The Kennel Club has revealed the sharp rise in people buying French bulldogs over the past 10 years.

Fuelled by it being a favourite of celebrities, the breed has seen an astronomical 2,964 per cent increase in the past decade and is set to be 2018’s top dog – a title held by the Labrador for almost 30 years.

The Labrador has been the most popular dog breed in the UK since 1990, the year it overtook the Yorkshire terrier.

The Kennel Club is warning people about the welfare impact of bad breeders cashing in on the latest trends sparked by dog owners being influenced by celebs.

Kennel Club registrations only account for around 30 per cent of the total population of dogs in the UK.

Among the undocumented and unregistered French bulldogs will be many that have been brought into the country illegally from eastern Europe and those that have been bred by puppy farmers.

Dogs from such backgrounds will often have serious health problems due to poor welfare conditions and this is even more concerning in the French bulldog, which is a flat faced (brachycephalic) breed.

This means that it can be affected by health problems related to its breathing.

More information on how to buy a French Bulldog – and other flat faced dog breeds – responsibly, can be found here.