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Two dogs rescued after being left in hot car for 'more than two hours'

Two dogs were reportedly left in this car in Looe, Cornwall (SWNS)
Two dogs were left in a car in Looe, Cornwall, on Saturday. (SWNS)

Two dogs have been rescued by firefighters from a hot car after being trapped for more than two hours, it has been reported.

The animals were discovered “in distress” inside the vehicle as Britain baked in temperatures of more than 30C.

The dogs were stuck in the parked hot car near Looe beach, Cornwall, on Saturday, police said. Officers were called to the scene by worried witnesses.

Read more: What should you do if you see a dog in a hot car?

Temperatures at the seaside resort reached 27C on Saturday. One local shared a picture of the alleged incident on social media.

Facebook user Kieran Mccrash Mclelland said the dogs had been left in the car "for over two hours”, with no sign of anyone coming back to them.

Devon and Cornwall Police said its officers were called to Millpool car park in Looe at 1.45pm on Saturday.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “The windows were reportedly open about 1.5 inches, there was no water in the vehicle, and the dogs were panting and yelping.

“Police officers recognised the animals as being in distress and requested the assistance of a fire crew who were able to force entry via a window and rescue the dogs.

“Officers took the dogs to a local vet for assessment with one found to be particularly hot, but not life-threateningly so.

“The dogs were returned to the owner, a 21-year-old man from Swansea, and strong words of advice were given by officers and the vet.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: “It’s extremely concerning that despite all of our campaigning, dog owners are still ignoring our warnings and risking their pets’ lives by leaving them alone in cars on warm days.

“How many more dogs need to die before people realise that that split second decision -–usually made due to convenience – could have life-changing consequences?”

Devon and Cornwall Police said it received a separate report of a large dog being left in a car for at least an hour in the Kilminorth Wood area of Looe at about 5pm.

It said the dog was reportedly in distress as the car windows were left only slightly open. The owner returned to their car shortly after the report was made.

Read more: Thousands fail to wear face coverings on public transport

Beach-goers camped overnight at the weekend as councils in England warned their coastlines were “extremely busy”.

Sunday was "another hot day" in southern England, where temperatures reached 34C at Herstmonceux, East Sussex, and 33.8C at both Heathrow, London, and Gosport, Hampshire, the Met Office said.

On Saturday, HM Coastguard dealt with 340 incidents across the whole of the UK – the highest number of call-outs in a single day for well over four years.

After days of scorching temperatures, large swathes of the UK could be hit by severe thunderstorms this week, the Met Office said.

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