A FAMILY were in tears yesterday after a two-day rescue operation to save their pet puppy that fell down a crevice was called off.

Fire crews, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue and an RSPCA officer spent most of yesterday trying to save the three-month-old dog, which had fallen down a hole in a field overlooking Cassop, County Durham.

Sasha, a Staffordshire bull terrier had been enjoying a walk on Thursday afternoon when she suddenly disappeared down the crevice, which was just over a foot wide.

It was only the third time that postman John Percival, from Newton Hall, Durham, and his 20-year-old son, Stephen, had taken Sasha out.

Mr Percival said: "My son tried to catch her, but she disappeared over the edge of the deep crevice."

At first it was thought Sasha had fallen about 12ft, but as rescue efforts began by the fire service and the RSPCA, it quickly became clear that she had fallen much deeper.

The rescue was called off overnight and resumed yesterday morning, when the RSPCA arranged for a JCB digger to help.

Seven firefighters from Peterlee fire station, Durham and Wheatley Hill spent the day at the scene, with a caving expert from Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue.

After widening the hole Sasha had fallen down, they reached where they had first seen her, but realised she had fallen further into a second, much deeper seam.

They then set about digging a second hole, 20ft deep.

At 3.15pm yesterday, silence descended on the rescue party as they realised there was no more they could do, and they broke the news the Percival family.

They watched in tears as the rescuers began to fill the hole back in.

Peter Matthews, station commander of Wheatley Hill fire station, said they decided to call the rescue attempt off after its progress was hampered by crumbling rock and after they had not heard from Sasha for about two hours.