A missing dog who sparked a large community search has been found dead.

Hamish, a 10-month-old brown and white brocker spaniel who lived in Marsden and Slaithwaite was discovered on Sunday evening in a hidden hole east of path between Black Moss and Swellands reservoirs on Wessenden Moor after six days of searches.

The discovery was made by one of his owners, Marsden woman Genna Spinks and her climber friends, who climbed down into the hole after being alerted to it by Marsden outdoors expert and Mountain Feet shop owner Si Taylor.

He was one of numerous people from Marsden who came together to scour the moors to look for Hamish, following the launch of a Facebook group ‘Please Find our Hamish’, which was joined by 649 people, and an article in the Huddersfield Examiner.

Genna and her ex-partner Miriam Skinner, of Manchester Road in Slaithwaite, were out walking Hamish last Monday by Bobus on the moor when he disappeared.

Miriam said: “We are heartbroken but have been overwhelmed by the kindness of the many strangers who’ve pulled out all the stops to find him.

“Sadly, it was a leap too far for Hamish.

“Genna brought him home so at least we have some closure and we wouldn’t have got him back without everyone’s help.

“He was such a lovely dog who had such a lovely life.

“We didn’t want him to be a dog on a lead and he couldn’t have lived life any fuller.”