A PET shop owner has branded thieves as "evil" after they stole three young puppies and two black kittens.

Joanne, who asked for her surname not to be printed for security reasons, discovered the thefts when she returned to Woolwich Pets, Plumstead Road, Woolwich, at 10.15am on October 31 after locking up the previous evening at 5.15pm.

The total value of items stolen which include leather harnesses, brass leads, carrying boxes and bird cages as well as the animals is thought to be around £4,000.

Joanne says the shop looked like a "bomb site".

She added: "It's the stolen puppies I'm worried about. They are cross breeds and just six and a half weeks old.

"The thieves must have mistakenly thought they were Staffordshire bull terriers, which Woolwich men tend to go for because they think they make them look hard.

"If they find out they're not Staffs, the dogs will be dumped and left to fend for themselves.

"These thieves are evil people. They have no respect for anybody who works and are probably out-of-work druggies."

Police say the thieves used considerable force to enter the shop, probably through the rear which opens on to a disused yard in Parry Place.

But a Saturday night disco at the Woolwich Infant pub, next to the pet shop, may have masked any noise the thieves made.

The three male cross breed puppies look very similar to Staffordshire bull terriers. One is black with a brown diamond on his chest, one is brown and the other is brown and white.

The two male kittens are about six weeks old and black and white.

Woolwich Pets is offering a £500 reward for the safe return of the three puppies.

Call Plumstead CID on 020 8284 9418 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 with any information.