A dog that was chained to two breeze blocks and then thrown off a cliff into the sea near Spanish Point last week had earlier escaped from its owner's property in the Prospect area of Devonshire.

The distraught owner identified his pet pit bull after a media appeal was made by the Police and animal wardens to find the individual or persons responsible for killing the animal in such a cruel manner.

The young red-tan coloured dog perished after being thrown from a 50ft cliff near Admiralty House Park. Its submerged body was spotted by a member of the public who alerted the Police.

Police have now been given their biggest clue to helping uncover the person responsible for the dog's death following the positive identification of the dog by its owner.

The search is now focused on the neighbourhood around Mary Victoria Road where the dog lived.

Police animal protection officer P.c. Yvonne Ricca said: "The dog had got out and someone probably took it from the area and disposed of it.

"The dog had got out before but always came back home. It might be that someone in the area took matters into their own hands."

Having narrowed down the likely area from where the pit bull was taken, P.c. Ricca is hopeful that the new information might jog someone's memory.

"If anyone has seen anything or knows anything we would like to hear from them," she said.

If you have information you can call the Police on 295-0011, the animal warden hotline 239-2327 or the SPCA on 236-7333.