Romford man’s dog stolen when he turned his back for one minute

�A Romford man has appealed for help in finding his dog which is believed to have been stolen from his front garden when he left it for one minute on Saturday afternoon.

Derek Diable, of Heath Park Road, said that he believes his three-year-old bulldog was taken by thieves who want to train it to fight.

The 55-year-old told the Recorder: “I was painting the front of my house, my dog Rosie, is just the kind that stays with me all the time, she doesn’t go anywhere on her own.

“I just went down the side for one minute to pick up another tin of paint and she was gone. I live on a main road, so if the dog would have gone into the road I would’ve heard the car’s brakes screeching.”

He added: “Some horrible scummy people must have taken her to train her for a fight or something, and she’s not like that at all. She is so loyal, it’s like someone has taken one of our kids.”

Derek and his family have spent hours searching the streets, putting up missing signs, and putting adverts on the internet.

The minicab office worker said: “I went to Battersea on Sunday, my wife’s phoned up all the local dog kennels and rescue centres, my sons have sent it out on Facebook to all their friends who’ve sent it to their friends, I was putting up posters for about two and a half hours last night.

“I just want my dog back, that’s all.”

n Anyone with information about the theft should call Havering Police on 101.