A man is so worried about his missing dog that it may have made him ill.

Derek Butcher, 73, of Brickhouse Road, Tolleshunt Major, suffered a mini stroke and was taken to Broomfield Hospital on Tuesday March 11.

Paramedics believed that the stress of searching for his missing dog, Toby, among other things may have caused it.

Mr Butcher, who was discharged from hospital the same day, said: “We’ve been searching everywhere for him, every time there is a report of a dog matching his description we make enquiries about it."

Toby is a white, micro chipped, Lakeland terrier with very curly hair and is wearing a collar with the Butchers telephone number on.