A tumour "the size of a football'' has been removed from Astra the German Shepherd by a Bradford vet.

Vet Terry Kinwig believes it is the biggest tumour he has ever removed from a dog.

The giant growth weighed as much as four bags of sugar, according to Mr Kinwig, who works for the Thornbury Veterinary Group based in Bradford Road, Thornbury.

His colleague Susy Taylor and her assistant Jenny Blake spent half an hour delicately removing it from the body of Astra, an eleven-year-old German Shepherd bitch.

She is now recovering with owners Tony and Sonia Lambert-Greaves who raised her from a pup.

It was technician Tony, 33, from Leeds, who guessed something was wrong when she went off her food.

He said: "We noticed Astra was getting bigger underneath but we just thought she was getting fatter with old age. Gradually she started to go off her food, which was unusual for her.

"When we saw the tumour after the operation we couldn't believe the size.

"Tests have revealed it was benign and luckily enough it has been removed as a whole with no future consequences.

"Astra's still a bit groggy and sleeps a lot but hopefully she's on the mend.''

Mr Kinwig said: "In my 25 years as a vet I don't think I can remember seeing a bigger tumour. How it had grown and grown and not affected any another organs is quite unusual."