Police officers in an Essex city smashed a car window to rescue a dog left alone in an "unbearably" hot car.

Essex Police's Chelmsford city centre team attended a report of a dog left in an unattended car earlier today.

Officers say the dog had been left in the vehicle for several hours in the afternoon heat and the inside temperature of the car had "become unbearable".

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Police took the decision to break one of the car's window to rescue the dog and "prevent any further suffering".

An Essex Police spokesman warned: "We know people love to take their furry friends out and about with them.

"But please bear in mind their welfare as the temperatures start to increase.

"Unfortunately parking in shade or leaving windows slightly open can still have a devastating impact on dogs on hot days."

The force says on a sunny day a car can get hot very quickly, reaching up to 47C in under an hour.