A FAMILY says thieves stole their dog from their house in Oxfordshire, leaving a grandmother without her pet and only companion.

Lucy Russell, from Heythrop near Chipping Norton, and her three children are devastated after discovering their dog, Minnie, was taken on Sunday afternoon.

ALSO READ: Can pets catch and pass on coronavirus?

The pet is owned by Ms Russell's mother who had been visiting the family for lunch and had brought Minnie along with her.

Now, she will be without her dog as the family believes thieves stole Minnie from outside the front gate.

Ms Russell described what she saw on her CCTV at 2.34pm.

She said: "We can see the dog just outside our gate. The next thing we see is a car drive past and then turn around and then both the car and dog disappear.  

"We didn’t see them actually take the dog but the car wasn’t from the village and it’s too much of a coincidence.

ALSO READ:Woman and dog kidnapped in Chipping Norton

"The dog has never gone off hunting before."

Ms Russell reported it to the police and has been issued a crime reference number.

Ms Russell said: "It’s just so sad in a time of so much uncertainty that people can be so thoughtless. The whole village is in shock and everyone is worried for their dogs now."