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A SICK motorist who drove for six miles with his pet dog tied to the bumper of his black Porsche 911 Carrera sports car was tonight being hunted by police.

The dog died from horrific injuries after being dragged for six miles at speeds of up to 70mph on the A27 near Brighton, East Sussex.

The incident was believed to have been sparked by a domestic row and last night police were still trying to trace the dog’s owner.

He was first spotted in a car park at the Devils’ Dyke beauty spot north of Brighton late on Sunday night with the animal tied to the car by its lead.

The vehicle left the car park at 10pm and headed west on the A27 dual carriageway.

Half-an-hour later an off-duty police officer saw the motorist pull into a lay-by just past the Southwick Tunnel near Shoreham, West Sussex.

He was unable to stop the car when it sped off at about 10.30pm.

Police officers visited the scene and took the animal’s body to a local vet.

The dog was identified, but tonight police had been unable to trace its owner.

PC Scott Walters said: “This is being treated as a deliberate act.

“The injuries this dog suffered were horrific. It has been distressing for everyone involved.”

A police spokesman added: ”A witness reported seeing a black Porsche Carrera being driven around with a dog tied to the back at the Devils’ Dyke car park at Brighton at 10pm.

“The car was then spotted at 10.30pm on the A27 westbound just past the Southwick Tunnel still dragging the dead dog along. It then pulled into a layby.

“When officers arrived they found the dumped body of the dog, a Beagle Collie cross. They took the dog to a local vets.”

According to a police source, detectives believe the cruel incident may have been triggered by a domestic dispute between the dog’s owners.

It is thought that the car was caught on a number of CCTV cameras including those installed in the third-of-a-mile long Southwick tunnel.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said: “We would very much like to help the police with this matter and to hear from anyone who saw this horrific incident or who might have taken a note of the car’s registration plate.

“This was an unbelievable thing to do to an animal. It would have suffered both physically and mentally during its ordeal.”