A FAMILY of guinea pigs were dumped in a remote riverside car park.

Shocked walkers found the small furry pets in a pile of flytipped rubbish in East Grinstead on Wednesday.

Experts from the RSPCA managed to save five of the terrified animals which were left in a pen designed for puppies.

But they fear as many as five more may have escaped into the undergrowth.

Inspector Liz Wheeler said: “It was a challenge trying to catch the guinea pigs as there were between six and ten in total and they were so frightened and skittish.”

She said the creatures ran off in all directions through the brambles and thick ferns.

Ms Wheeler said she and animal collection officer Louis Horton managed to catch five guinea pigs with the help of the walkers who first found them. “Sadly, a few others ran off into the brambles and despite us searching and going back later on, we haven’t been able to find them,” she said.

She said whoever dumped the animals was “hugely irresponsible”.

“Leaving them out exposed with all the hot weather we’ve been experiencing is just so cruel.

“With the recent rain and storms too, anything could have happened.They may have thought they were doing the right thing by dumping them in an enclosure, but clearly that did not contain them for long.

“Two of the females we caught are pregnant so it’s possible the owner became overwhelmed with the number – but still, abandoning an animal is never the right option.”

The five guinea pigs are now being cared for. Some have mites and will need veterinary treatment. The pregnant females will soon be giving birth. When they are well enough they will be rehomed.

Anyone with information about who dumped them should call 0300 123 8018.