THE bloodsoaked body of a little dog was discovered impaled on church railings minutes before children passed by on their way to two primary schools.

A shocked headteacher lifted off the corpse, while other staff from St Joseph's RC, in Coundon, County Durham, kept pupils on a school bus to spare them the grim scene.

For Stefa McManners, the first concern was to protect children from her own school and nearby Coundon Primary.

After she removed the dog, which had been speared through the head on a 5ft high spiked piece of railing, it was taken away by council staff.

Police immediately questioned people living around Victoria Lane, but found nobody who could help them catch the callous killers.

Today, The Northern Echo, which is working with the RSPCA to combat animal cruelty in the region, is joining store chain Pets at Home to offer a £200 reward for the arrest and conviction of the culprit. The horrific manner of the dog's death has stunned villagers in the Coundon community, which has had to face two violent deaths and a lengthy campaign of vandalism in recent years.

Mrs McManners said: "It was just at the time the children were going to be walking past on their way into school.

"There was nothing else I could do. It was a horrible sight. I couldn't let children see something like that."

Father Patrick McMahon, who lives in the church grounds, said: "My first reaction was total shock. I didn't believe that anybody could do something like this. It was within sight of both the village schools."

PC Heather Bryant, appealed for help in finding the killer, saying: "It appalled me. I have dogs of my own and it was very upsetting."

The animal had a curly, dark brown coat and was wearing a black collar. Anyone with information should telephone PC Bryant or PC Andy Huddleston at Bishop Auckland police station on (01388) 603566.

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