A FAMILY has been left "heartbroken" and "distraught" after masked men armed with machetes smashed their way into their home and stole a puppy on Halloween.

Joanne Leslie said her children are struggling to sleep and are desperate for their beloved 10-week old French Bulldog, named Violet, to return home.

Three masked men are understood to have smashed a patio door to gain entry to the property before they stole the poppy, which all took place whilst Ms Leslie and her children were inside.

Following the incident, which occurred on Wednesday evening, missing dog organisation Dog Lost warned there had been six similar incidents across the UK in the last three weeks alone, and urged all dog walkers to take care when exercising their pets.

Writing on Facebook, Ms Leslie said there were "no word" to explain how heartbroken her kids were, and urged anyone with information to get in touch.

She said: “Some men smashed my patio doors in and punched my puppy – they came into the family home armed with machetes and grabbed her.

“There are no words to describe how heartbroken my kids are – our puppy was ready to look for her new home but the boys love her so much so we decided to keep her.

“Whoever has got her, I am begging you to bring her home – my boys can’t sleep they are distraught.

“Please help to get our puppy home where she belongs – the people who did this need finding after what they have done to my home and breaking my kids hearts.”

Wayne May, of Dog Lost, said he believed it was likely to be an isolated incident in the town, but said there had been a ride in criminal gangs targetting dogs, especially designer dogs, across the country.

"We would advise kids not to walk their dogs on their own, especially at night, and to regularly alternate the route people to use to walk their dogs."

It was revealed earlier this year that French bulldogs were among the new favourite targets for canine criminals .

Last year, 61 French bulldogs were stolen, a 27 per cent year on year rise, according to figures compiled by Direct Line Pet Insurance.

Lee Paris, Dogs Trust senior campaigns officer, said: “Sadly dog theft is on the rise with the number of reported cases in the past few years growing significantly.

"Whilst the most vulnerable location is an owner’s garden (70 per cent of incidents recorded in the garden) we urge people to remember to be vigilant at all times whether at home or out and about with their dog.

"Getting your dog neutered, ensuring your garden is safe with no little wiggle holes that your four-legged friend can fit through, making sure microchip details are up-to-date, and brushing up on recall training to guarantee your dog comes back when called can all help to mitigate the chances of dog theft.

"Currently there is little to differentiate the theft of our beloved pets from that of a mobile phone. The classification of the theft and lenient punishment are points that we are working with the Sentencing Council to review and amend.”

A spokesperson for Durham Police said "Officers were called to Hundens Lane, in Darlington, at 8.45pm on Wednesday, October 31 after three masked men broke into a property and stole a French Bulldog puppy.

"The men, who were armed with weapons and were wearing balaclavas and masks, smashed a patio door to gain entry to the property before taking the female puppy."

Detective Sergeant Grant Cockerill, from Darlington CID, added:: “This was a terrifying incident for the victim, whose young children were also in the property at the time.

“We would urge anyone who has any information to contact us on 101, quoting incident number 451 of October 31. Alternatively information can be passed on to Crimestoppers anonymously 0800 555 111.”