Johnny Depp's dogs: Wife Heard charged with smuggling

Johnny Depp's wife, actress Amber Heard, has been charged with illegally smuggling dogs into Australia.

Ms Heard came under fire for failing to declare Pistol and Boo, the couple's Yorkshire terriers, to authorities on their arrival in Brisbane in April.

This week she was charged with two counts of illegally importing the dogs into Australia and one count of producing a false document.

Penalties range from a hefty fine to more than 10 years in prison.

Ms Heard, the star of Friday Night Lights and Magic Mike XXL, has been issued with a summons to appear in a Queensland court on 7 September, the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said on Thursday.

Under importation charges, the actress could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of 102,000 Australian dollars (£48,000).

The false document charge, which relates to information given on an incoming passenger card, carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of AU$10,200 (£4,800).