Two German Shepherd police dogs which died in the heatwave after being left in a car by their handler had been donated to Nottinghamshire Police.

The dogs were found dead in a parked police car outside the force's headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

It is believed the dogs' handler was not on duty at the time and had called in to the force's headquarters at Sherwood Lodge, leaving the dogs to over-heat in the parked car.

It is not known how long they were left in the car but temperatures in Nottingham on Wednesday hit 29.4 degrees Celsius.

It has since emerged the dogs were donated to carry out police work, including tracking down criminals and providing security at major events in the county.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.

Nottinghamshire Police said the handler had not been suspended.

The Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, said it was "saddened" by the news.

A spokeswoman said: "Whilst the cause of death is still to be determined, the charity would like to remind dog owners and police dog handlers that leaving your dog locked in a car can prove fatal, particularly during a heatwave. It can take just 20 minutes for a dog to die and temperatures reach over 40 degrees in some vehicles."

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was now investigating the incident.