PARKING wardens are keeping an eye out for dogs left in overheating parked cars - but they're appealing for help from residents to check for trapped pets.

With temperatures soaring in recent weeks, wardens operating in the Chiltern district area are on the lookout for dogs left in their owners' vehicles.

They warn pets can die if they become too hot - which can happen rapidly.

If it's 22 degrees Celsius outside, the interior temperature of a car can reach 47 degrees within an hour and a window left open is not enough to keep it down to a safe level.

The RSPCA advises people to call 999 if they see a dog left in a car on a hot day.

Officers say a rapid pulse, lack of co-ordination, profuse salivation and loss of consciousness are all signs of heatstroke in dogs.