It took seven police officers in five cars to seize a Yorkshire terrier from an old lady

The Metropolitan Police have been accused of leaving an elderly woman in an anxious state after it reportedly took seven officers riding in five separate cars to seize a Yorkshire Terrier in south London.

Authorities confirmed to IBTimes UK that officers were sent to an address in Vale Crescent in Kingston just after 8am on Friday where they carried out a search warrant executed under section 5 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

"A dog was seized at the address," a spokesperson said in an email, adding that enquiries are continuing.

Speaking to the Wandsworth Guardian, the dogs alleged owner, 76-year-old Claudia Settimo, said that she was "in shock" over the incident, describing the operation as being "really over the top".

Settimo added that she believed it was because of an incident in late June that the police came to seize a dog. According to Settimo, her dog, named Alfie, became excited when a delivery person came with a package on day and she asked the man to leave the package outside.

A few minutes later, Settino told the paper, when she went outside, the man was still there and an excitable Alfie ran to chase him. The man allegedly fell over screaming "he's killing me" and suffering a scratch the Settino attributes to the man's fall.

Settino said she was worried about her dog being scared in a kennel, adding that he "is not vicious" and just likes to chase, "show me a dog who doesn't like to change," she told the paper.