A “much loved” local dog has been missing from along the riverside in Richmond since yesterday evening.

Winston the French Bulldog has almost 2,000 Instagram followers and his loss has made owners Cara and Sam Sheppard, who spent hours looking for him, “sick with worry”.

Cara said: “We were walking him along the river in the town centre at 8.30pm last night [April 8] by The White Cross pub and he was off the lead as usual.

“There were quite a lot of people about and he went around the corner a few steps ahead of us and when we went around the corner he had literally vanished.

“No sign of him. We have been out all night looking for him walking up and down the river, through the town centre.”

The couple have informed dog walkers, the dog warden, police, local vets and posted over all social media, but so far there is no sign of him.

Cara added: “We’ve had him since a pup. He is 16 months old. He is super friendly and very confident. We hope he wasn’t stolen but he is very desirable.”

Under the Instagram of lord_winston_of_richmond the fawn-coloured ‘frenchie’ lounges in an array of poses, winning hearts nationwide.

If you have any news about Winston, please call 07584 70280 or 07899 095494.