A dog that was dumped in a village in Norfolk has been found so hungry that she was trying to eat stones and newspaper.

An RSPCA inspector has described the white Staffordshire bull terrier as a 'walking skeleton' as she was so thin that every rib and bone in her body could be seen.

The starving dog, which has since been named Princess, was found wandering the roads of Hales, near Loddon, last Thursday.

The dog, which is believed to be no older than five, had been picked up by a concerned member of the public who took her to Meadow Green Dog Rescue Centre, in Hales.

Members at the centre then took her to a vet for a check-up.

RSPCA inspector Emily Bottomley said: 'Princess was absolutely starving; she was literally trying to eat anything in her sight. Apart from being so emaciated there was nothing else medically wrong with her, so this is a clear case of someone failing to feed her and letting her slowly starve to death.

'All she seems to have needed was food, and had she not been found I am really not sure how much longer she would have lasted. It is just heart-breaking.

'She was still producing a small amount of milk, so I do think that she could have given birth to puppies in recent weeks, although she is so skinny it is unlikely she could have provided them with much nutrition.

'I will do all I can to find the person for responsible for dumping poor Princess, she was still clean and so it is unlikely that she was just straying.'

The RSPCA is investigating the incident and is appealing to anyone who may recognise Princess, or who knows who her owner could be, or know of anyone selling puppies that may fit her description, to call the appeal line on 0300 123 8018.