TWO dogs were found sealed inside a cardboard box as temperatures reached 30°C on Tuesday.

The two Jack Russell terrier-cross dogs were discovered when a motorist stopped for a break in Finch Close in Lenton at lunchtime.

She saw the taped-shut cardboard box on the side of the road and heard whimpering from inside.

The RSPCA are now appealing for any information about the incident.

One dog, a black and tan-coloured Jack Russell and Dachshund cross, was wearing a brown leather collar with a bone-shaped metal tag which said 'Scooby'.

The other dog is tri-coloured and his fur looks like it has been shaved or clipped short recently.

Both dogs are wiry-haired, healthy and very friendly.

The RSPCA say the dogs could have quickly developed heat stroke and died if they had not been found.

People found guilty of failing to protect an animal's needs could face a maximum six-month prison sentence and or a £20,000 fine.

Anyone with information about this incident, or who knows who they belonged to, should contact the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 1234 999.

To find out about rehoming the dogs - who will need to go together - call the RSPCA Radcliffe-on-Trent Animal Shelter 0115 9334422 or visit www.rspca-radcliffe.org.uk