Residents in a moorland village are urging dog walkers to be aware of the dangers in the area after a dog fell down a collapsed mine shaft.

Fire and rescue crews from Liskeard and Bodmin saved a springer spaniel who was out with his owner on the moor near Minions at around lunchtime on Sunday.

There was no injury to the dog and it was reunited with its owner after a firefighter was lowered down into the hole, which is surrounded by wire fencing.

Cornish Times photographer Howard Martin, who lives in the village and witnessed the rescue, said: 'A lot of people walk or ride on the moor and don't know the dangers. It's the second dog to have gone down a shaft in the last month.'

Another resident said: 'We often hear people frequently calling for their pets as they let them off without a lead, which is illegal as it's access land, not a public path.

'It's dangerous as the dogs go off chasing rabbits and other animals and fall down a collapsed shaft like this dog did on the weekend. If the dog was on a lead it wouldn't have happened.'

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act requires dogs to be kept on leads on access land, between March 1 and July 31.

The shaft is on Duchy of Cornwall land.

Access to the shaft is up a dirt track from the village and the area is popular with walkers, people interested in wildlife and horse riders.

A spokeswoman for the Duchy of Cornwall, said: 'We are aware of this issue and when the shaft collapsed took immediate actions to make the area safe.

'Investigations into the cause and actions to rectify the collapse are ongoing.'