Britain's Got Talent winner Pudsey the dog has died

Britain's Got Talent judges have paid tribute to 2012 champion Pudsey, after the death of the dog was announced.

David Walliams and Amanda Holden both took to Twitter to say goodbye to one of the nation's favourite pets and send their thoughts to his owner, Ashleigh Butler.

Holden shared a picture of the pair with the full panel of judges, including Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon, and later followed it with: "My thoughts go out to Ashley and this little talented 'human with fur' £RIPPudsey".

Walliams posted: "Farewell to a very special dog that the nation fell in love with. £Pudsey BGT".

The ITV show announced the news of his death in a Twitter post, that included a tribute to Pudsey's owner, Ashleigh Butler.

The post read: "We are saddened to hear that today we lost Pudsey, a most marvellous winner. Our thoughts are with Ashleigh."

​Pudsey - a border collie, bichon frise and Chinese crested cross - charmed viewers with Ashleigh during their routine to the Mission Impossible theme, and he became the first dog act to win the series.

Ashleigh and Pudsey had worked together for 11 years.

In October 2012, a book titled Pudsey: My Autobidography, was released, chronicling the talented pet's rise to fame.

Success continued for one of the nation's favourite pooches as he hit the big screen in 2014, taking the leading role in his own movie, Pudsey The Dog: The Movie.

The pair also journeyed to America following their big win, where they performed on America's Got Talent and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Tributes began to pour in within minutes of Britain's Got Talent sharing the sad news, with fans commenting that they were "heartbroken" and sending warm wishes to his family.

Ashleigh and Pudsey delighted fans with a brief re-appearance in a promotional video for this year's show.

Press Association