A police officer could be prosecuted after two German Shepherd dogs died when they were left in a private vehicle in hot weather.

The RSPCA can prosecute the officer if they believe he or she broke the law by leaving them in the car park of Nottinghamshire Police headquarters in Arnold when the officer went inside.

On Tuesday, temperatures reached 29.4C (84.9F) in the city, one of the hottest days so far this year.

Animal charities warned owners it only takes 20 minutes for a dog to die in a car parked in the sun as temperatures inside can exceed 40C.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it will not be investigating the deaths and the matter will be handed back to Nottinghamshire Police for an internal investigation.

The dog handler will be questioned by RSPCA inspectors next week.

David Green, a spokesman for the charity, said there are a number of penalties the charity can seek if the officer is found to have broken the law.

The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 fine.

Mr Green said: "In cases such as these people have been prosecuted in the past. The same guidelines apply when it comes to prosecuting a police officer or a member of the public.

"What we would do is investigate and then decide what is the best course of action but there is no intention to cover anything up.

"What can happen, and what does happen, is that the courts use other appropriate sanctions such as a lifetime ban to prevent tragic incidents being repeated."

Mr Green added that it is usually the individual, rather than the organisation, that is shown to be negligent and responsible, adding there were a "handful" of cases each year where people have been prosecuted for leaving dogs in cars.

It also emerged the force has received a number of angry calls from members of the public. The handler has not been suspended but is currently on leave at home.

Councillor John Clarke, chairman of Nottinghamshire Police Authority, said the dog section, which is now made up of 24 dogs and 35 officers, was a very close-knit team.

He added: "I know the team will be mortified. It's tragic when you consider we have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on kennels. Unfortunately tragedies do happen."

It takes nine weeks of intensive training and costs more than £7,000 before a police dog can go out on patrol.

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