Crooks stole a puppy from a Gidea Park home while two women were inside.

The theft happened in the early hours of this morning when the thieves made off with tan coloured Shar Pei/Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross called Bruno.

The 52-year-old resident, who didn’t want to be named, and her 18-year-old daughter arrived home around 11.30pm yesterday evening.

She said: “We had got home, and I put their food out but the dogs didn’t come out. My daughter heard the front door bang and two men’s voices.

“They must have been here the whole time we were back and panicked and ran out.”

They are believed to have left at around 12.10am with the dog who had only lived at the Compton Avenue maisonette for six weeks.

“They took Bruno and a packet of Rizlas. It looks like someone had been tampering with our front door.

“We think someone might have been watching us as not many people knew we had the dog.”

“It’s a quiet area, nothing like that happens round here. It’s horrible to think someone was in here while my daughter was here. She’s broken hearted about it.”

She added that the dog had not had his injections yet so didn’t willingly go outside and would have had to be carried.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Romford CID on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.