SECURITY has been stepped up at a sea life attraction after a thief p-p-picked up a penguin.

Staff at Scarborough Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary are furious after Piglet, a two-year-old Humboldt penguin, was stolen on Sunday.

It was found yesterday in a back garden in the Barrowcliff area of the town when a neighbour heard its calls.

Lyndsey Crawford, the sanctuary's senior aquarist, said: "Humboldt penguins are sociable animals and can suffer great stress.

"Poor handling techniques and being dumped in a foreign environment can lead to significant harm.

"Piglet is now on a two-week course of antibiotics, which will hopefully help her recover."

She also said that, as penguins pair up for life, Piglet's partner, George, could suffer from the separation.

Piglet is one of a group of seven Humboldt penguins at the sanctuary and has been there for more than a year.

There are only 20,000 breeding pairs of Humboldt penguins left in the wild.

Iain Hawkins, sea life sanctuary general manager, urged anyone with information about the theft to contact police.