A PET dog has been hailed a hero after she chased off a pair of burglars who broke into an Epping couple's home.

The sleeping pair were woken at around 4am this morning when their beloved rottweiler Carla began growling and barking at a suspicious sound downstairs.

When owner Gary Dennett got up to investigate, the six-year-old pooch suddenly raced off after the noise.

“When I got to the bottom of the stairs I found the front door and the front porch door open – they'd obviously been a break-in,” said Mr Dennett.

“I'm just so grateful she was there. She must've stopped them coming any further into the house. Without her we could well have been the victim of a robbery or even something worse, you never know in those types of situations.”

Police were on the scene within minutes after Mr Dennett, an ambulance worker, dialled 999.

“We've had Carla since she was nine weeks old and she's never done anything like this, but then we've never had the need,” said 42-year-old Mr Dennett.

“I'm so glad, I work nights a lot of the time and it was my first time day off in a while – it could have been just my wife at home.

“Of all the homes on the street the burglars just happened to pick the one with the biggest dog.”

Mr Dennett said he hoped the incident would remind people in the Epping district to be wary of thieves.

“We had secured the plastic porch door but it wasn't locked because we thought we didn't need to because of the dog. But we will always lock it from now on. I hope it sends a message to people to always lock your doors,” he added.

But what about brave Carla's reward?

“We've taken her out for a special walk and given her lots of attention, but I don't think she really realises what she's done,” he added.

Do you have a heroic pet? A fearless feline? A brave bulldog? Contact reporter Daniel Binns on 0779 547 6625 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk