Six designer dogs have been stolen from a walker's van in Forest Hill.

The dogs, including a Chihuahua and four pugs, were taken from Kemble Road around 12.45pm yesterday.

Volunteers on the Dog Lost website have reported that the dogs were taken from the van and put in a black transporter van which drove away.

One dog has since been found in Crystal Palace Park and was handed in to a pet shop in Bromley, but the other five are still missing.

Jenny Cameron, who lives near the street where the dogs were taken, is the owner of five-year-old Chihuahua Mr Salvetore.

Mrs Cameron said: “He is a massive part of the family, he is my first baby, I got him before I had my two children.

“They are going to be absolutely devastated, they will be really upset if he doesn’t get found.

“I was absolutely in shock when I heard, I’m just so devastated.”

News Shopper:

Mr Salvatore.

A similar incident happened last month, when a dog walkers van was stolen from outside a house in Glennie Road, West Norwood.

Nic Oakley, who works at Dog Lost, said: “We can’t rule out the fact that the crimes could be linked.

"They were valuable designer dogs, at the very top of the list of dogs that are stolen.

“It’s shifted from being an opportunist crime to being organised.

“They are probably part of quite a large dog theft ring.”

She added that dog walkers need to take precautions against theft, saying: “They have got to take the security of their charges very seriously, the security of the vehicle itself, whether they have a sign written vehicle.

“They mustn’t assume that they can nip out for a second, they need to assume that they may be being watched, they need to vary their route and times.

“They really need to be on their guard.”

Lewisham Police have tweeted: "The suspects were two white males who were driving a black van that we believe had a partial registration of LF13 or LP13."

If you have any information about the thefts contact Dog Lost on 0844 800 3220 or the Metropolitan Police on 101, crime reference number 3219765-16.