Dog owners in Cross Hills whose pets died from a suspected poisoning last month may never find out what happened to their animals.

Cross Hills-based PC Chris Bateson said the investigation continued into the eight dogs who died between May 20 and 25 after walking in fields and a footpath off Station Road.

Previous reports indicated that 11 dogs had died, but PC Bateson said only eight had died and one had survived after becoming ill.

Police have now turned over the investigation to other agencies, including the RSPCA.

PC Bateson said: “There has been no talk of prosecutions because that would be putting the cart before the horse. For that to happen, we have to identify what it is that killed the dogs and where it came from.”

RSPCA spokesman Leanne Plumtree said: “Despite our best efforts and those of all of everyone involved we still don’t know what caused the deaths of these dogs.

“All of the test results that have come back are inconclusive. Further tests are being carried out by Natural England, but it could take as long as three months.

“Without knowing the cause of the poisoning it is impossible for us to say whether these dogs died as a result of an accidental or deliberate act or to identify the person or people responsible.

“The problem is there may not be a conclusion and we may never have an answer to this. Things that might have caused this, like blue algae and anti-freeze, were ruled out from the beginning.”

A spokesman from Natural England said: “Following reports of dogs falling ill or dying after walking in the Cross Hills area, a series of pesticide tests have been carried out, but have so far proved inconclusive. Further tests will be carried out over the coming weeks.

“We would advise people to keep their dogs under close control or on a lead if they do walk in the area and follow any on-site information.”

Natural England investigates the deaths of animals and wildlife when there is a strong possibility that it relates to pesticide or chemical poisoning, and any evidence of poisoning from the forensic work is then given to the police.

A spokesman from the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, which is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), said it had been commissioned by Natural England to carry out a post-mortem examination on one of the dogs.