Search to find dog driven off in stolen van

Bran is five years old and the Bates family adopted him from a rescue centre when he was eight weeks old

A family are desperately searching for their dog after he was driven off inside a van when it was stolen.

The van and Bran, a black cross terrier, were taken from outside a house in the Mickleover area of Derby on Friday morning.

His owners believe the two men who stole the van will have dumped Bran, because he usually cries at junctions and "will have driven them nuts".

They have asked anyone who spots Bran to try calling his name.

"He has got really good recall so if someone shouted 'Bran' I think he would come," said Tracy Bates, one of his owners.

"He's a very friendly dog. He hasn't got a nasty bone in his body."

Bran apparently has good recall and his owners think he would go to someone who calls his name

The red Transit van was stolen from Station Road at about 10:30 GMT on Friday.

Tracy's husband, Brian Bates, was helping to do some work at his son's friend's house at the time.

"He doesn't go anywhere without the dog," said Tracy.

After being stolen, the van was seen going down Vicarage Road in Mickleover.

Tracy thinks Bran will have been let out of the van quite soon.

Bran was inside this red Transit van when it was stolen

"He cries at junctions and traffic lights because he doesn't like the car not moving," she said.

"I think they wouldn't have got far because he would have driven them nuts. If they opened the van he would have jumped out."

Bran is microchipped and was wearing a luminous green collar. Anyone who finds him should contact Derbyshire Police.

A police spokesperson said: "The force was called to reports that a red Ford Transit van had been stolen from the driveway of a house in Station Road, Mickleover.

"Inside the van was a small terrier dog. Anyone who has seen the van, which has a Republic of Ireland registration that begins 10KY, is asked to contact the force with reference 260-111122."