A chef has been reunited with her stolen puppy after it was found 50 miles away by police during a drugs raid.


Maria Fodor, 40, of Church Road in Leyton, was slapped round the face and hit with the handle of an axe by masked men who broke into her home after posing as police at 12.30am on January 17.


She could then only watch as the burglars stole her four-month-old bulldog puppy MJ, along with mobile phones and a laptop.


But Ms Fodor has been reunited with her beloved pet this week after Hampshire police found him after a drugs raid in Basingstoke on Sunday.
Officers checked MJ’s microchip and later discovered the puppy had been taken during the burglary.


She travelled to Basingstoke to collect MJ on Monday.


PC Paul Scott of Hampshire Police said: "We are very pleased that we have been able to recover this much-loved family pet and reunite it with its owners.


"This incident highlights the importance of micro-chipping your pets as in this case it has enabled us to identify where the puppy was from and return it to its rightful owners."


Waltham Forest police are appealing for anyone who has any information about the burglary to contact Detective Constable Jack from Waltham Forest Burglary and Robbery Team on 020 8721 5042.


To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.