A pet owner was reunited with her Staffordshire Bull Terrier after it went missing for more than two years.

Tigan came back home after the Lost Dogs and Cats Line service, provided by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home along with the Metropolitan Police, got in touch.

The eight-year-old pet was found on the streets by a member of public on Sunday, August 20 and taken to Battersea Cats and Dogs Home.

Lost Dogs and Cats Line scanned her on arrival and discovered immediately that she had a microchip, so they instantly contacted the owner, Susan Pittman, of Thornton Heath near Croydon.

Mrs Pittman said she was overjoyed to receive the call. She explained that Tigan had been taken from near their home on July 19, 2004 and had been missing ever since.

The Pittman family tried to track her down - contacting lost dog services, putting up posters and Tigan's picture even appeared in papers throughout the area.

The Pittman family were relentless in their search: "We never forgot about her or stopped hoping we'd get her back. I thought it was a hoax when Battersea called, but once I realised it was a real call, we came straight away.

"We're so glad we had her microchipped," she said.

Mrs Pittman and daughter Jessica arrived at Battersea within hours and during an emotional reunion said: "We just can't wait to get her home".