THE full extent of one of the most shocking animal cruelty cases in the region was still being uncovered last night.

Rotting carcasses and bones were still being discovered more than a week after inspectors broke in to a North-East stable yard to find dozens of animals had died there in appalling conditions.

One kennel appeared to have been turned to the wall with the dog still inside.

The horrific story was first revealed by The Northern Echo on Saturday.

A man at the centre of the investigation was last night thought to be on the run as the gruesome task of clearing the mass grave at Bank Top Stables, in Trimdon, County Durham, continued.

The Northern Echo understands a local man owns the site but leased it to another party, and is not being connected to the animals' deaths.

By last night, the official death toll was at 35 after the remains of 16 horses, seven dogs, 11 birds and a rabbit were uncovered among the filth. But officials admitted the actual numbers could be far higher.

RSPCA inspector Mark Gent said more bones are being found, but they are becoming increasingly difficult to identify.

Remains scattered about the site are only being discovered as it is cleared.

Mr Gent said: "In truth, we may never know the extent of it. We may even find more bones. At any rate, at the moment we have a total which is disgraceful.

"In four years as an inspector, this is by far the worst case I've dealt with.

"We have a few lines of inquiry to follow before any further action can be taken - that could be a criminal prosecution for cruelty to animals, which has a potential penalty of six months' imprisonment and a £5,000 fine."

Three dogs - a rottweiler and two border collies - were found alive. Inspectors believe they survived by feeding off other animals or tearing open sealed bags of dog food left in the yard. Sealed bags of horse feed were also found.

The surviving dogs are said to be in reasonable physical condition and are being cared for at a nearby refuge. They are not currently needing to be rehomed.

The animal welfare charity was alerted on Bank Holiday Sunday by a member of the public, who reported seeing a loose dog nearby.

Villagers also contacted the society and environmental health officers at Sedgefield Borough Council to report unpleasant smells which they believed were coming from the stables.

When investigators forced their way inside, they were confronted by a charnel house of horror.

The RSPCA is appealing for information to piece together exactly what happened.

Spokeswoman Heather Holmes said: "We desperately want to hear from anyone with information.

"Unfortunately, with the nature of our jobs, we have made grim discoveries before, but usually if it is in a rural setting it tends to be neglected livestock, which is of course horrific.

"But we've never seen anything quite like this.

"We are appealing for help to find the owner of the animals and information about the stables.

"Until we can confirm who was responsible for the site, our inquiries will take longer than we'd hope."

Miss Holmes praised RSPCA inspectors and other workers who are helping to clear the site.

She said: "It is very upsetting and incredibly distressing for all the officers involved. It is one of those incidents that you have to get your head down and get on with it."

Tests are being carried out on the remains to establish how long they had been there and the cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the charity on 08705 555999.