A HEADLEY family who have been searching for their two lost dogs since July have been left heartbroken after being told they died on the railway track near Hammer after being electrocuted.

To pour salt into the wound after the devastating news, the family have yet to find out what happened to the bodies of their beloved pets.

Mattie Oliver said that a railway worker rang her to say he had seen the dogs lying by the electric line and had found a collar. It seems it was not long after they had disappeared.

“He gave me a collar which was one Nelson had been wearing but he didn’t report the incident to the rail company,” she said. Following a request by Mattie, Network Rail launched an investigation into the incident.

It was on July 22 that Paddy the foxhound and Nelson the spaniel disappeared while Mattie was with her two children in a field in Bramshott where she keeps horses.

“As they are young horses I had Paddy, who is three, with me but left Nelson, my 18-month-old cocker spaniel, in my car.

“They had already had a walk and it would mean I could watch the children rather than both dogs as I do need to keep my eye on Nelson. After finishing my work with the horses and while walking back to my car I called Paddy to follow but he wasn’t coming, then I got back to my car and Nelson wasn’t there.

“I think he got out of the sunroof and they both ran off.”

Mattie is waiting to hear from Network Rail for any information about what happened to the bodies of the dogs to help her and her family have closure.