A guide dog walker is furious that staff at a coffee shop refused her thirsty puppy a bowl of water on a warm afternoon.

Janice McCauley was out training her labrador Woody with a friend and her dog when she popped into the Rainham branch of Costa Coffee.

She and her friend ordered coffees and then asked if they could have some water for the dogs.

But they were told the cafe didn't have anything to put the water in.

Mrs McAuley said: "Imagine our shock when we were refused water for the hot, thirsty pups.

"They were gasping, having waited for a long time at a bus stop and then the journey on top."

Mrs McCauley, of Heron Close, Lower Halstow, has been training for Guide Dogs for the Blind for 16 years and said she had never been treated in this manner before.

She said: "My job is to get the dogs acquainted with different environments, like walking into a town, getting on a bus, going into a shopping centre.

"We have always been made to feel welcome. I am so upset about this and the attitude shown to me was that they couldn't have cared less and had nothing to put water in. What rubbish! I found it insulting and rude."

Mother-of two Mrs McCauley, has received an apology from Costa Coffee.

Managing director John Derkach said: "I can quite understand your anger and frustration.

"Although many of our stores are unlikely to have dog bowls or similar, it would have been a simple matter to provide you with water in a takeaway cup for the pups.

"It isn't rocket science and is just a matter of courtesy to our customers."

Mrs McCauley said: "I don't have a problem with the Costa in Hempstead Valley, but it has certainly put me off going back to the branch in Rainham."