A NEW-BORN micro pig stolen from a leisure farm which was abandoned on a doorstep in a cardboard box has died.

The four-day-old piglet was snatched from Newham Grange Leisure Farm in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, on Saturday at about 4.15pm.

A guinea pig stolen at the same time is still missing.

Mark Saunders, farm manager, said staff had been left "disheartened" by the  news but said they would not tighten security to protect livestock.

"We knew that this would happen,” he said. “People do have micro pigs as pets but that is not what they are for. Stealing it was just a pointless act.”

“Staff are feeling very disheartened, they are more vigilant now but we do not want to keep people away from the animals and we will not be bringing in anything like CCTV.

"I have been here for a very long time and this is the first time anything like this has happened."

The black piglet - small enough to fit into an adult’s palm - was discovered in a box on a doorstep of a house in Arthur Terrace, New Marske, east Cleveland, between 8.30pm and 9pm on Monday but it has since died.

Mr Saunders had warned that the micro-pig stood little chance of survival without its mother.

PC Lyndsay Dale of Cleveland Police is appealing for information and is urging witnesses saw a white van in the Arthur Terrace area around that time to call the non-emergency number 101 or to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.

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