A desperate dog owner has pleaded for heartless thieves who stole her chihuahua from outside a supermarket to return her.

Janet Mighie, 53, tied up two-year-old chihuahua Coco outside Sainsbury's in Selhurst while she shopped, only to find her gone when she returned.

The mum-of-one, who had a heart attack last year and is frequently housebound with poor health, dotes on the puppy and relies on her for companionship.

CCTV footage of the theft, on Sunday January 5, shows a boy and a girl aged around 10 or 11, untying Coco and leading her away.

But police said the film is of too poor quality to identify the thieves.

Janet, of East Dulwich, fears the pedigree chihuahua has been sold.

She said: "She is my companion. She is so pretty and loving. She is just too friendly.

"I can hardly leave the house because I am not that well and she keeps me company. I just want her back, I miss her so much. She must be so scared.

"People don't know how they affect people's lives when they do things like this. It is all for money, isn't it?"

Janet's 16-year-old son, an animal lover training to be a vet, is also devastated by the theft.

She usually trims Coco's hair short but believes it could have been left to grow.

Anyone with information on the theft can contact the Metropolitan Police on 101 and asked for the Selhurst Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Do you know more about this story? Email chris.baynes@london.newsquest