POISONED strips of meat thrown into a dog owner’s garden killed her three pets.

The meat, laced with antifreeze, which contains mercury and causes organ failure when ingested, was thrown into the garden in Southways, Brightlingsea.

Coreen Langstone’s six-year-old shih tzu Bambi and her two chihuahuas, Chappie and Jet, both three, died.

Ms Langstone, 71, said: “The vet said the poison damaged their organs and shut them down. The dogs were my life. They were like my children.

“They were just young, innocent pets and now the house is so quiet. I think it must be a vendetta.”

Ms Langstone had let the dogs out, as normal, on Thursday, but knew something was wrong when they came in.

She said: “Chappie was going limp. He was small and died quickly.

“I wrapped him up and went to my friends hoping I was wrong, but he had gone.

“I came back and noticed Jet was not breathing well.

“We went to the vet in Highwoods, Colchester. They had him on a respirator, but could not save him. They had blue tongues and mouths.”

Bambi died later. Ms Langstone said: “He did not seem too bad. He was a bit bigger.’’ But he went downhill and on Monday he had to be put down, hours after Ms Langstone had been to the funeral of her great-grandson.

Police are investigating. It is believed the meat was thrown over the fence from Bayard Recreation Ground on Thursday at about noon.

Ms Langstone said: “Bambi was a showdog and I bought him from the breeder so he could play in the back garden and have somewhere to run around. Jet and Chappie were brought up by the same mother.”

Anyone with information can call PC Thomas Raes at Clacton police on 101.