A 33-year-old man has been released on bail in connection with the discovery of the body of a dog in South Tyneside, six days after she went missing.

The body of Winnie, a much-loved family dog from South Shields, was tragically discovered in the Leas area six days after she went missing from Monkton Avenue in Simonside on September 4.

Hundreds of locals banded together on social media in a desperate attempt to locate the Lakeland Terrier who was nearly a year old, launching a Facebook group entitled ‘Help Us Find Winnie’.

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The Northern Echo: The area where Winnie was sadly found.

Following the discovery of Winnie’s body, a 33-year-old man was arrested but has since been released on bail.

Police have also confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, as they remain “open-minded” to the circumstances surrounding the death.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “On Sunday (September 10) we were contacted by the owners of Winnie the dog, who had gone missing from the family home in South Shields on September 4.

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“They reported that after a community-wide search to find Winnie, her body was discovered in the Leas area.

“Officers are remaining open-minded as to the circumstances surrounding her death and an investigation has been launched.

“A 33-year-old man has since been arrested in connection to the incident and has been released on police bail. Enquiries are ongoing.”