A woman who left a dog in a filthy room without food or water has been banned from owning animals.

Stephanie Makriel, 31, of Pigeon Lane, Hampton, pleaded guilty at South West London Magistrates’ Court to failing to provide adequate food, water and accommodation for her dog.

The court heard the Staffordshire bull-terrier was found by police whining in a closed bedroom that was covered in faeces and broken glass from a smashed mirror on December 23, last year.

Prosecutor in the case Tony Curtis said police had been alerted by an informant who had not seen Makriel for several weeks and heard the distressed dog in the house.

He said: “Inside the property there was an overwhelming smell of faeces.

“The property did not appear to be lived in. There was no food in the cupboards.

“The dog appeared nervous and had its tail underneath it. There was no water or food available to the dog.

“The outside garden was full of junk and was too dangerous to let the dog off the lead.

“The dog was desperately thirsty and immediately drank the container provided dry, which was then refilled for her.”

Hamid Iqubal, defending, told the court Makriel was a single mother of three children, who had recently been taken into care due to her mental health problems.

He said Makriel suffered from an eating disorder for the past 24 years, as well as depression and a split personality disorder for the past three years and had left the dog for two days.

He said: “She felt terrible that the dog was left without food or water and said it was all her fault.

“She had hit rock bottom recently and felt really bad.”

Head magistrate James McLeod told Makriel on Wednesday, March 13, that due to her circumstances he would step outside the normal guidelines and handed her a 12-month conditional discharge.

She was ordered to pay £30 and was disqualified from owning any animal for the next three years.