A Selhurst family has thanked the ‘amazing’ man who tended to their dog after it was killed in a “hit and run” incident.

Robbie Webb, 27, found Marley, a five-year-old chihuahua, lying in the middle of Selhurst road on Friday evening.

Acting to spare the dog from any further harm, he wrapped Marley in his red Evening Standard vendor’s shirt, placing him on the roadside.

Lynsey Ashby, sister of Marley’s owner Hayley Barnes, approached Robbie as he was distributing papers in Ruskin Square on Tuesday evening and, after a quick chat, discovered that he was the man they were looking for.

Ms Ashby said: “Robbie deserves so much praise. What he did was amazing.

“It might sound silly, but he gave Marley that little bit of respect when others just ignored him.

“We can’t thank him enough.”

Mr Webb, a self-described ‘animal lover’, from Penge, was on his way home when he came across Marley late in the evening.

He said: “I saw the dog in the road and none of the cars were stopping. I couldn’t leave him there.

“I wrapped him in my shirt and took him to the side of the road, hoping his owners would find him. It was difficult, but I just had to do it.”

“You always call your mum for advice in these situations.

“She said I should leave him slightly uncovered so hopefully someone could find him.”

Ms Ashby asked Mr Webb to describe Marley's appearance to be sure he wasn’t taking credit for someone else’s actions.

The family gave him a £50 reward to express their gratitude.

“I was a bit shocked when Lynsey tracked me down, but when she explained the situation I was just relieved that Marley had been found," Mr Webb added.

“No one likes the idea of a pet being left alone.”