The frantic owners of a dog who stole Simon Cowell's heart on X Factor have put up a reward for his return after he went missing this week.

Danny, a Bichon Fries, was last seen in Chatelherault Park in Hamilton on Monday while he was being walked.

Owner Paul Keogh made the final 100 at X Factor's Boot Camp last year where he introduced Danny, and his sister Poppy, to the famous judges including Cheryl Cole, who couldn't get enough of him at the auditions.

Cowell likened singer-songwriter Mr Keogh, from Glasgow, to a cross between Oasis's Noel Gallagher and U2 frontman Bono on the show, but was more smitten by the dogs by holding them.

Mr Keogh's partner Nicola Cogan, a clinical psychologist at Hartwoodhill Hospital in Lanarkshire, said they are "devastated" he is lost and are offering a "generous" reward for information leading to his safe return.

"We are totally devastated he is gone and doing everything we can to get him back," she said. "He was startled by a couple of cyclists in the park and ran in the opposite direction.

"He was spotted twice and it we thought a lady in a car was going to pick him up, but a few minutes later when my mum got to the place he was last seen he was gone.

"We have searched everywhere, notified the police, put posters up and put a plea out on a radio station. There is a generous reward for info leading to his safe return."

Danny is white and wearing a black collar with his name on it.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Danny you are invited to call Animal Search UK on 0800 4320 340 quoting reference 3653.