VILLAGERS banded together to clear up Ovingham’s riverside after a beloved family pet was accidentally poisoned in the area.

Scrumpy suffered fatal seizures after being walked on Ovingham riverside by owner Lucy Holyoak.

The 18-month-old sprocker spaniel died just minutes after chewing on something he found on the riverside track on Sunday, February 5.

In the wake of Scrumpy’s death, the Environment Agency said it was monitoring the situation.

And Northumberland County Council searched the area and reported that nothing untoward had been discovered.

Dog walkers were advised to keep their pets on a lead in the area.

Keen to prevent more unneccessary deaths, Lucy and husband Graham urged pet owners to avoid the area.

And on Saturday, a group of around nine volunteers braved the bad weather to clear rubbish from Ovingham riverside.

Using litter pickers and gloves lent out by community group Green Ovingham, a car-load of rubbish and litter was collected and disposed of.

Lou Moore, who helped to organise the litter-pick, said: “We wanted to do a general clear up so we could get rid of any other potential hazards to dogs that may be down there.

“We had a good clear up. There was a lot of stuff that had floated down the river after the floods.”

Lucy said: “It was really chucking it down. But a few owners of dogs that Scrumpy was friends with turned out. It was really nice.

“We didn’t see anything suspicious, but clearing the area was a nice way to put the whole issue to bed.”