Four greyhounds which lived through appalling conditions at a notorious Chinese racetrack are now on their way to happier lives in Norfolk.

Norfolk-based charities Action for Greyhounds and Kerry Greyhounds UK have each agreed to take on two of the 530-plus dogs that survived the Canidrome Greyhound track in Macau, which was closed in July last year. It was the only greyhound racing stadium in Asia.

Members of the groups will travel to Heathrow Airport on February 16 to pick up the dogs, which were all bred in Australia and exported to the Chinese racetrack.

A spokesman for the charities said: 'The Canidrome greyhound track was branded as the deadliest greyhound track in the world over seven years ago when animal protection group Animals Australia were made aware of the awful conditions the greyhounds were kept in and the fact under-perfoming young greyhounds were killed there and no greyhound ever left the place alive.'

The track was forced to shut after an investigation from Animals Australia and the Anima Macau Animal Rescue Sanctuary.

The spokesman said: 'The plan was to save the greyhounds left alive by turning the premises into a rescue centre where the greyhounds could be cared for by volunteers.

'As greyhounds are large dogs it would not be possible to get many adopted locally, so a mass campaign was set up and bona fide rescues worldwide were asked to pledge to take into their care as many greyhounds as they were able to.

'Action for Greyhounds and Kerry Greyhounds UK were happy to help in a small way by pledging to take two each.'

The spokesman said the canines could look forward to better times in the UK, and would eventually go up for adoption.

He said: 'February 16 will be the first time our greyhounds have trodden on grass and will go on to experience so many other new things.

'They will be going into experienced foster homes, where they will be carefully socialised and introduced to so many new experiences and will learn what it is to live a life as much loved family members.

'In the future they will be ready to go up for adoption where they will live what we hope to be many happy years.'