FOUR puppies, who were found close to death after being abandoned, are now fighting fit and looking for homes.

A dog walker found the cross-breed pups barely alive and hidden a cardboard box on Thursday morning in the field near Darrowby Drive, off Brinkburn Road, Darlington.

Dog warden Andy Wood, who collected the puppies, said they had survived by huddling together for warmth.

He said: "The lid has been left on the box, so this was obviously deliberate. They would have been lucky to survive just two more hours in the cold conditions."

The puppies are being cared for by the Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, at Sadberge, near Darlington, and have been named Sonic, Spike, Tiggy and Pickle.

Centre manager Sue Embleton said this had been a particularly bad Christmas for abandoned puppies, with 44 coming in over the past few weeks.

She said: "People need to be ringing round and trying to get help if they can't cope. A puppy is a 14-year commitment and can cost in the region of £8,000."

The puppies will be kept for a further seven days at the centre before going up for rehoming. Anyone who needs help with unwanted animals is asked to contact their local authority, dog warden or rehoming centre.