A MOTHER has made a heartfelt plea after her young daughter’s puppy was stolen from their back garden.

Gemma Brown, of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland, woke on Sunday morning (September 21) to find her five-month-old Pomeranian puppy was missing.

Miss Brown said the puppy belonged to her three-year-old daughter, Lucia Mae, who called the dog Peppa, after children’s cartoon character Peppa Pig.

“She is absolutely devastated that Peppa has gone and keeps asking where she is.

“She has seen the posters we have made and every time we go somewhere she asks if we are going to get her.”

Miss Brown has lived at her home for three years and has never had anything stolen before.

“It’s made us quite paranoid really. Every time we hear something we are checking to see if somebody is in the garden.

“There had never been any pictures of Peppa on social media, and because she was so small we never really had her out so I think she must have been taken by somebody from the area who knew she lived here.”

The police have been notified and investigating the case of the stolen puppy.

Miss Brown is urging anyone with any information to come forward and contact her on 07917-725511 or the police on 101.