A dog owner left distraught after seven Staffordshire bull terriers were stolen in a terrifying machete attack has been reunited with one of the dogs - after it was put up for sale on the internet.

Halina Bhati feared she would never see her beloved pets again when the knife-wielding gang burst into her homeand stole the animals after one posed as a potential buyer.

Ms Bhati, 23, was overjoyed when police called to say they had rescued one of the puppies after foiling the gang's attempt to sell it outside Chingford train station.

The three men ran off when police arrived at the scene, leaving the unsuspecting buyers holding the female dog - which they had agreed to view after seeing it advertised on social networking website, Gumtree.

Ms Bhati said she was frightened the other four puppies, and their parents Rizla and Navy, which are worth up to £1,000 each, will now be sold for fighting, and has called on the public to contact police if another advert appears on the internet.

"It looks as though some of the gang may live or work in the Waltham Forest area and I'd call on anyone who spots one of these adverts to call the police straight away."

Ms Bhati said she was prepared to offer a reward for any information leading to the recovery of the dogs, which are all pure bred, with champagne/blue colouring.

Two of the three men involved in the raid, and the attempted sale, which took place at about 5.30pm on Friday, May 30, were black and in their 20s.

One was slim, 5ft 5in with glasses and the other was heavily built.

The third man was a heavily built white man with a tanned skin.

Anyone with information should contact police on 8345 2733.