A MISSING dog which sparked searches across Colchester has returned home.

Seven-month old black labrador Bella went missing from a house in Wivenhoe on Christmas Day.

Owners Yari Forster, 29, and Rosie Day, 25, had turned to Twitter, Facebook and other social media in a bid to find the family pet, and captured the public’s imagination.

Bella was finally found on Saturday shortly after 1.30pm close to Millfields Primary School – about five minutes away from where she had gone missing.

Rosie, from Stanway, said: "We can’t thank everyone enough for their help in finding her."