A disabled pensioner from Canterbury is distraught after his beloved Great Dane was stolen while the two were out for a walk in the city on Friday afternoon.

Tony Hickson uses a motorised buggy to get around and he and Daisy the Great Dane have been a familiar sight in the city.

But on Friday, at about 2pm, while Daisy was following Mr Hickson in Palace Street she disappeared.

A market trader told Mr Hickson he had seen the dog going up the High Street with a young blonde woman. Another couple said they had seen a woman grab Daisy’s chain and lead her away.

Mr Hickson said: “Daisy and I are so close she is never more than a few steps away.

"All day long she lies on the bed in my room while I work at my desk.

"Daisy will be so distressed now and that is what really upsets me. I am more attached to her than any other living thing and we were never apart. I’ve hardly slept or eaten since she went.”

Posters appealing for Daisy’s return have been put up all over the city and Mr Hickson is offering a substantial reward. Anyone who can help should ring his daughter on 01795 536519.

For more on this story, see this week’s Kentish Gazette