The owner of a dog which was allegedly locked in a boiling hot vehicle has been condemned on social media.

The animal was spotted by passersby in High Street, Paddock Wood.

Shocked Lisa Wilson took to Facebook to vent her disgust at the situation and her post has so far attracted more than 10,000 shares.

She said the pet was left in the black BMW with no window open, and despite the alarm going off twice, the owner did not release it.

She added when the female owner did arrive she claimed the animal was fine to be kept in the car due to it being a farm dog.

The incident was not reported to either the police or RSPCA.

A spokesman for the organisation said: "This is not a new warning, but sadly too many people still don’t appreciate how dangerous it can be to leave a dog in a hot car, conservatory or caravan. Don’t let your dog be the one to find out the hard way.

"They can be a death trap for dogs, it is as simple as that. Leaving your dog in a car, even on an average warm, even cloudy spring day, can put your pet at huge risk of suffering and even death. Leaving a window open or bowl of water makes little difference."