A DOG owner used his pet to trap a pair of teenagers in a shed this morning after they allegedly tried to burgle his Golders Green property.

The two 16-year-olds, both of no fixed abode, were arrested just after midnight following reports to police of voices coming from the rear of the man's house, in The Vale.

Officers said the 62-year-old's reaction was to release his dog into the garden, which resulted in the two boys becoming cornered in the shed.

The man then locked the shed with a metal rod before calling the police and leaving the dog on guard duty.

When police arrived, the two boys, one who was born in Somalia, the other in Lewisham, were found still inside the shed and were arrested.

They were taken to a north London police station for questioning and remain in custody awaiting a charge decision.

A statement from Barnet Police said: "Although a dog is clearly a superb deterrent against burglars, people would still be advised to lock garden sheds securely, as they can contain tools which are useful for a burglar in their efforts to break into a home."