One hound in Richmond Park found himself firmly in the doghouse last week when he broke into an office and devoured one and a half kilos of sheep's cheese.

Fitz, the three-year-old German shorthaired pointer belonging to assistant park manager Adam Curtis, broke through three doors in Holly Lodge to reach the cheese. It was to be the centre piece for a buffet at the Thames Landscape Strategy (TLS) Summer Event the following night, attended by none other than famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

"Fitz busted through three doors to get at it," said Mr Curtis. "One door had warped so opened easily. The second one was open already and the third sprang open under Fitz's weight."

The theft was discovered on the morning of the summer party by Val Beirne and Jason Debney from the TLS.

Val said: "It was a Duddleswell sheep's cheese, worth about £50, that had been handmade and matured in Sussex.

"We had left it in a Waitrose bag in the office, and when we came back the next morning, there was debris everywhere and the cheese was gone. Jason was a bit miffed to say the least."

Fitz does not, however, seem to have suffered any ill effects from his cheesy overdose.

Mr Curtis said: "He certainly didn't want any of his dinner that night, and just lay there looking very pleased with himself."

According to vet John Ball from Acorn Veterinary Surgery in Kingston, Fitz will not have done himself any permanent damage.

He said: "It could make him quite constipated, and the other thing is that he has probably eaten about 5,000 calories in one sitting, which is three times his daily allowance!

"He'll run it off though. Cheese as an occasional treat is fine."

It is not the first time Fitz has overcome obstacles to satisfy his stomach. Mr Curtis said: "His previous best was when he ate two date and walnut cakes that I had baked for a meeting. He even managed to unzip my rucksack to get at them."