THE North-East's sickening record of animal cruelty was dealt another blow when two puppies were found drowned in a water-filled bag hung from a barbed wire fence.

But two of the day-old puppies were saved and are now being nursed back to health following their narrow escape.

Christine Kipling found the water-filled bin bag hanging from a fence on the side of a country road between Old Eldon and Middridge, near Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, on Wednesday.

Inside the liner there was another bag, containing the puppies, one of which was already dead.

A second died during the night as Mrs Kipling and her family kept constant watch and made regular feeds, as advised by a vet.

It had been cut by the barbed wire.

Mrs Kipling, 36, of Millers Hill, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, had been walking a friend's horse from one field to another when she heard a noise from across the road.

Sensing something was wrong, she investigated and found the bag.

"I can't get over the picture. I've never seen anything like that. I've had animals all my life," she said.

"When I opened the bag and saw that picture, I can't get it out of my head. I'm still choked talking about it. I'm just glad two of them survived.

"It was just an absolute miracle that I found them. They were just half slung across the fence."

Mrs Kipling said she was grateful for the help she received from Kensington Veterinary Surgery, in Bishop Auckland.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA urged anybody who has information about this incident, or any other like it, to get in touch and help bring about a prosecution.

"Hopefully, we can bring the people who did this to justice," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone 08705 555999.

The incident comes only days after two young girls made a gruesome discovery as they walked along the banks of a tributary to the River Wear, in Chester-le-Street.

They noticed the ears of a cat poking out of a bag in the stream and found the dead animal had been zipped inside.