A nervous dog which ran in panic from his loving new home has been found dead.

Two-year-old Harvey, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, was settling in with vicar Andy Drake but slipped his collar after only three days.

The dog, rehomed by Gemini Kennels, Wickford, was found dead on the A127 near the junction with the A130. An Echo reader alerted the owner.

Mr Drake, 31, of Longfield Close, Shotgate, said: "I had been looking forward to getting a dog for a long time. But things went as badly as they could have."

He was upset to get the call about Harvey's fate, but is also grateful to the callers because he is glad to know the truth. He explained: "I picked him up, put him in his bed and buried him in my garden. I appreciate that people got in touch. It made all the difference to me."

Published Thursday, February 21, 2002