A PET dog missing for five days on the Lakeland fells has been found safe and well after its owner hired a private helicopter a specially trained search dog to help locate the animal.

Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team seached over five days to try and find the boxer called Murphy after its owner reported it missing on Monday.

But the animal was only rescued yesterday evening after the helicopter search located  it at Fall Crag, below Angle Tarn, near Hartsop.

Owner Lewis Blythe, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, is reported to have been holidaying in Windermere with his partner when Murphy went missing.

Despite the daily efforts of the Patterdale team, the boxer was not found so the owner decided to hire a helicopter at a reported cost of £1,000.

Patterdale MRT said they were alerted to the the helicopter search after receiving an emergency call yesterday evening.

A team spokesman said: "The 999 call came through on a roaming emergency system and the team were therefore unable to re-contact the man.

"With very little information to go on, and not knowing if the caller and dog were stuck in a dangerous situation on the mountain, the team went quickly to their aid.

"On route the team heard from a member of the public that the dog and owner and had been airlifted by private helicopter and were safely on their way to the Lancaster area.

"The dog had actually gone missing on Monday afternoon and team members had assisted the man to search for the dog each day since then.

"We are very pleased that the outcome was so positive for Murphy, who was found fit and well."