A NEGLECTED dog was cruelly imprisoned and left to die in a recycling skip.

Workers at a household waste site on Portland were in total disbelief when they saw an animal's nose poking through the opening of a container.

They levered the back off the huge bin filled with paper to find a terrified black spaniel cross cowering inside.

He was in a poor condition and had an open sore on his back.

A spokesman at Portland Recycling Centre on Easton Avenue, said: "We went to post some paper through one of the flaps and out came a nose. We couldn't believe it.

"Whoever did this was cruel - I hope I never find anything like this ever again. They must have unscrewed the back off the skip because there was no other way he could have got inside. The poor thing was getting covered in paper and the sun had been beating down on the skip. He could have been in there for anything up to three days.

"He was shaking like a leaf when we opened it up."

The frightened pet would not move so they enlisted the help of local Dog Warden Rod Wild who threw a lead round him and guided him out.

Mr Wild said the dog was in 'a terrible state' and the sore was probably caused by mange or maggots under the skin.

The collarless animal is believed to be about 12 years old and at the moment is only known as the number 1362 - given by the Dog Warden service.

Mr Wild will take the dog to a vet and house him in nearby kennels unless he is claimed.

He is keen for anyone with information about the incident to come forward and warned that abandoning an animal is an offence punishable by jail.

The RSPCA's spokesman for the south west Janet Kipling said: "This is definitely the sort of case we would seek a prosecution for.

"It is totally unacceptable and cruel. It is chucking away an animal's life like a piece of rubbish.

"There are plenty of RSPCA centres that can help those who can no longer care for animals."

Anyone with information should call 01305 838432.