Reward over five puppies stolen from Melton Mowbray

The owner is offering a £2,000 reward for the return of the five eight-week-old sprocker puppies

A family has been left "devastated" after five puppies were stolen from their back garden.

The eight-week-old sprocker spaniels are thought to have been taken from a garden on Dalby Road, in Melton Mowbray, on Sunday night.

Their owner Jessica Palmer said although they were for sale at £1,000 each, her three-year-old daughter was "absolutely heartbroken".

Leicestershire Police said it was investigating the theft of the dogs.

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Ms Palmer believes the thieves would have walked down her driveway and through her garden gate to get to the puppies between 23:30 BST on Sunday and 03:30 on Monday.

The 26-year-old - who had advertised the puppies, which are a cross between a cocker and springer spaniel, for sale - said she just wanted them back as she fears they are "not in safe hands".

"It's just devastating how someone can just come and steal your puppies," she said.

"I know they were going to go to new homes eventually anyway, but not like this, it's really traumatic for everyone."

Ms Palmer fears the dogs' microchips could be removed for resale

The puppies were from a litter of seven that Ms Palmer's springer spaniel had given birth to.

She said one puppy had been left behind in the garden pen and another had been sold.

"We already had a home for one of them," she said.

"We hadn't sold the rest yet because we wanted them to go to people we knew they were going to be safe with."

Ms Palmer said she feared the dogs' microchips could be removed to be resold.