A HEARTBROKEN couple have warned other dog owners to be vigilant after their puppy was killed in an apparent fox attack.

Stephen and Annie Paul were walking their two dogs off the lead on the bridleway close to Ringsfield Church on Monday, when two red foxes appeared and chased the pets away.

Olive, a Jack Russell, managed to run back to the couple after being called, but her terrier pup Beatrice became trapped by the foxes and ran off in fear.

After scouring the area for hours with friends and family, Beatrice was eventually found dead on Tuesday afternoon from what is thought to have been a mauling by a fox.

The bridleway runs from the playing fields of the Sir John Leman High School in Beccles to Ringsfield.

Mr Paul, who lives in Beccles, said: “We want other dog walkers to be careful when they go through that area. I have a funny feeling that the two that attacked my two were also a mother and her cub.

“I know a lot of people use Beccles Common, but we use the bridleway because it is different for the dogs. We thought that perhaps she had gone to ground in fear and buried herself down a rabbit hole and the trouble with that is that it’s very difficult to get out.

Mr Paul said that he received a call from a friend on Tuesday afternoon to say they had found Beatrice dead by the perimeter fence, which surrounds the local water board.

“Its so sad, she was part of the family and her mother is so lost without her,” he said.

The couple paid tribute to all the people that helped them find Beatrice.