A puppy found dumped in a box behind Lidl has been reunited with those who helped give him a new home.

Hugo was discovered abandoned outside the cut-price supermarket in Sturry Road with three siblings by a member of the public at Christmas in 2014.

The cross-breed puppies, just five days old at the time, were taken to the Dogs Trust's Canterbury rehoming centre in Radfall Road, near Whitstable.

The centre hand-reared the pups, caring for them round the clock to give them the best chance of survival. Given the festive time of year, the dogs were named after pantomime characters Prince Charming, Snow White, Cinderella and Buttons.

After a few months, the litter were rehomed by local families. One of the puppies - Prince Charming - was adopted by Rochelle Haywood from Whitstable.

Now, Rochelle has now taken her dog - renamed Hugo - to revisit the centre.

Rehoming centre manger Harriet Blaskett was one of the staff members who hand-reared the litter of pups.

She said: “There’s really no way of describing how special it is to see Hugo five years on and still a happy, healthy boy who is loving life with Rochelle.

“It was an emotional experience giving him cuddles, I’m not sure he would have remembered me, but I certainly remembered him.

“The charity’s slogan ‘A Dog is For Life, Not Just for Christmas’ is 40 years old now and remains as relevant now as it did back then. Dogs are a wonderful addition in the right circumstances, but before bringing one into our homes we all need to think whether they are right for our lifestyles and whether we can give them a home for life.”

Rochelle said: “Hugo and his brothers and sisters survived thanks to the dedicated staff at the rehoming centre and we are so grateful. We thought it’d be nice to pay them a visit and show them how well he’s doing. He’s a much-loved member of our family and we couldn’t imagine life without him.”

For more information about Dogs Trust Canterbury, visit its website.