Police have launched an appeal after a dog was left abandoned following a suspected poaching incident in North Yorkshire earlier this week.

Officers from North Yorkshire Police are investigating the alleged incident, which happened in Melmerby near Ripon.

It happened at around 7pm on Monday, August 19, with police asking for witnesses after reports of a group of men seen in the village.

A lurcher-type dog was also found and taken into police possession.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: "We urgently need to identify the owner of this dog. If it is your dog, we want to hear from you before we have to treat it as abandoned and it is re-homed.

"Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should email david.mackay@northyorkshire.police.uk.

"You can also call North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for David Mackay.

"If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Please quote the North Yorkshire Police reference number 12240150875."