A TIMPERLEY family have been left devastated after thieves killed their treasured pet dog.

The cruel intruders broke the neck of defenceless Molly - a three-year-old Lhasa Apso - before dumping her in the Bridgewater Canal.

Molly's owner, Tracy Lawlor, believes Molly, who was just 10 inches tall, was killed by the sneak-in thieves to stop her from barking and raising the alarm.

Tracy thinks the thieves - who stole just £15 from her handbag - may have been watching her house on Buckingham Grove before they struck on Monday night.

The thieves sneaked into the kitchen while Tracy, who had been in that room, nipped out for 10 minutes to her mother's home up the road. Tracy's partner, Simon Chaisty, and one of their daughters, Louise, were in the house at the time.

Tracy said no-one heard the crooks and her first inkling that something was wrong was when she returned and could not see Molly.

They looked for Molly and found her body floating in the canal, which is at the bottom of the garden. Simon fished her out but she was already dead. Tracy retrieved her purse, credit cards and handbag, which were in the canal.

Tracy said: "They must have hit Molly to stop her barking. They killed her for just £15.

"What type of person could do that to a small defenceless animal?"

She said her daughters, Louise, 16, and Katy, 13, were devastated.

"We have lost one of our family. The girls were just screaming when we fished her out."

The family's other dog 17-year-old Tilly, also a Lhasa Apso, was not hurt.

Insp Simon Wright of Altrincham Police said: "This is a very callous crime which would revolt any right minded person.

"The perpetrators of this offence are in my view without morals, feeling or compassion. Their actions were moronic.

"Trafford Police will use every effort to catch the offenders.

"Such people are rarely brave enough to work alone and someone knows who committed this offence."

There was another break-in at a nearby house on the same evening, while there have been incidents of garden fences by the canal being tampered with.

Anyone with information about Molly's death, which happened between 8pm and 8.10pm, should call the police on 0161 872 5050 or Crimestoppers, where callers can remain anonymous, on 0800 555111.