NOTTS police are investigating after a dog was found with gunshot wounds to its head.

The five-year-old brown male Lurcher was discovered badly injured in Grassthorpe, near Newark, on Bank Holiday Monday.

The dog was taken to a Notts vets for treatment. Its location has been kept secret while the RSPCA and Notts Police investigate the incident.

A veterinary surgeon tending to the dog – named Alfie by staff – yesterday said it was in a serious but stable condition.

"He was in quite a bad way," the vet said. "When he was found he was dehydrated, had extensive damage to one of its eyes and was bleeding from its back legs.

"It was only after carrying out x-rays that we discovered it had been shot."

The surgeon added that around 50 fragments of lead pellet from the shooting remain inside the dog.

"We have managed to repair the wound to the eye but we think it may either be partially or completely blind in it."

The incident was condemned by Alan Batty, environment manager at Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Mr Batty, who runs the authority's dog warden service, said: "I saddens me more than anything that someone could do this to a dog."

The RSPCA is trying to locate the dog's owner.

A Notts Police spokesman said that officers are also making inquiries into the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to call 0300 1234 999.