A DOG has been left needing emergency surgery after picking up a bone left on the beach in Thurlestone after a barbecue.

Molly, a Border Collie cross Springer Spaniel, was being walked by her owner Janice Green on Thurlestone Sands two weeks ago when they came across rubbish left after a barbecue.

Unknown to Janice, Molly swallowed a bone left among the rubbish.

Janice's husband Robert was having chemotherapy in Wolverhampton and while there Molly started looking ill and being sick.

A trip to the vets in the West Midlands left the couple £65 out of pocket, but the vet was unable to find the problem. When they returned to Kingsbridge, Molly was still unwell, so they took her to Selworthy Vets in Kingsbridge.

They identified a blockage in Molly's intestines the size of a golf ball, which turned out to be a bone that had got lodged and was causing her pain and sickness.

Molly has since had an operation to save her life, costing the family over £1,000. Robert said: 'It's disgusting, if you take something down to the beach, you should take it home.

'I don't know whether this was local youngsters or holidaymakers, but all you have to do is take your rubbish home with you.

'Janice always carries bags for cleaning up after the dogs and she walks them on the beach every morning.

'Molly was very poorly, just because someone didn't pick up their rubbish. There were disposable barbecues, beer cans, everything – it's disgusting.'

Molly is now recovering from her operation and getting back to her happy and friendly self, but Robert is hoping her story will encourage people to think twice before leaving anything on the beach.