Joss Stone is afraid of the dark.

The 28-year-old singer-songwriter was the target of a plot to kidnap and behead her in 2011, and Joss admits she's still struggling to come to terms with the threat.

She said: ''I've always been a nervous person at night.

''I'm afraid of the dark, I really hate horror movies and I can't deal with seeing anything like that on TV, I just can't. I'm too emotional - I cry and dream about it for a week.

''I'm really not good with it. That's me. I've been like that since I was a baby. I could rationalise it and say don't be so stupid, there's no one under the bed, there's no one behind the door.

''But now I can't really say that because, actually, it might be true. So that kind of p***es me off a little bit, but its cool... I've got dogs.''

Joss explained that her trusted rottweiler called Missy Elliott helps her to sleep more comfortably at night.

She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ''If I get nervous I walk around my house and I send Missy into the room.

''She's so awesome she literally walks around the room then comes out and looks at me and says OK, and we go to the next one. It's quite cool.''

Joss' would-be attackers were convicted of conspiracy to murder and rob, and the singer says she's tried to not let the incident destroy her life.

She said: ''Nothing happened - to me it's like it's hearsay. It was a bit creepy but also kind of ridiculous.''