A New Addington dog owner has accused Surrey Police of animal cruelty after his chihuahua was left locked inside a motor home for 19 hours without food or water.

Nathan Young, 36, said he was “shocked” when officers arrived to arrest him at a Redhill caravan site last Wednesday following an allegation of assault.

But his biggest concern was the wellbeing of his five-year-old pet, Rocco.

He said: “I asked them, ‘What about my dog?’ They just laughed and shut the door.”

He was taken to a custody suite and used his one phone call to ring a friend to ask him to look after the pooch.

Mr Young claims he then pleaded with two custody suite officers for help, who agreed to drop off the keys to his motor home with his friend Mick.

He said: “They said, ‘You can phone the RSPCA or something’. Then they started laughing.”

But when he was later released without charge – almost 19 hours after his arrest – he found the keys still in his bag.

The valeting business owner, who splits his time between the motor home and his house in Walton Green, was distraught when he realised how long Rocco spent cooped up without food or water.

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He said: “I broke down in tears knowing he had been there for that long. He’s my buddy, he comes everywhere with me. He was really distressed, he wasn’t eating or drinking properly. He’s just getting back to his normal self, but every time I get up and go out he’s always by my side.”

Mr Young filed a complaint with Surrey Police after being released on Thursday.

In an emailed response to the complaint, seen by the Croydon Guardian, Inspector Michael Hodder confirmed the two officers had told Mr Young “they would contact Mick and get an officer to meet with him and get Rocco looked after”.

He admitted a “breakdown in communication” had occurred.

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