Two dogs die after eating poison

Police are investigating the suspicious deaths of two dogs.

It is thought the black Labrador and Springer spaniel, who were found in a distressed state by their owner, had been deliberately poisoned.

A vet was called to the owner's home in Ironbridge last Thursday but nothing could be done to save the family pets.

Police said the animals had swallowed an unknown substance which had been mixed with food and left in the garden, which is also used by children.

Officers said it was fortunate the children did not find the poison first.

'Sickening act'

The family is offering a £500 reward for information which helps catch the offenders.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "At this moment in time we don't know exactly what the substance was, but we do believe that it had been deliberately put there because it had been mixed in with a food product to encourage the dogs to eat it.

"It is a sickening act and has deprived a family of their beloved pets.

"We would appeal to anyone with information about what happened to contact us.

"The owner has a very young family and it is fortunate that it wasn't the children who consumed the substance."