A TEAM of volunteers who took it upon themselves to find a missing puppy before he was tragically found dead have donated hundreds of pounds to an animal charity.

Julie Jayne, Clare Davis, Sophie Baker and Leah Ford launched a fundraising page for Blue the Great Dane puppy after he died near a railway line in Clacton.

The money was initially meant to be used to pay for his cremation, but Network Rail commissioned contractors to dispose of the body before they had the chance.

READ MORE: Pensioner's puppy found dead on train tracks before being cremated by rail company

The railway company said Blue was too decomposed to be returned to his elderly owner, who had only had the puppy for two hours before he jumped a fence.

The group’s efforts, however, garnered donations totalling more than £266, which has now been gifted to the National Animal Welfare Trust, in Clacton.

Clare said: “Thank you once again for your generous donations. As you are all aware things out of our hands meant we could not use these funds for our little boy Blue.

“But, as we promised, these funds were donated to the National Animal Welfare Trust in Clacton in Blue’s name.

“The love and kindness that you have all shown for this little boy will now go on to help in the care of other animals. Thank you so much. All for the love of Blue.”