Heartbreak over stolen dog

THE mother of heartbroken triplet sisters has appealed for the return of their stolen pet dog.

Poppy the Manchester terrier was snatched as she played on her owners' Framfield farm, on Sunday last week.

The dog's disappearance has devastated five-year old triplets Matilda, Lydia and Daisy Otway, according to their mother Nadine.

Two-year-old Poppy was following Nadine's husband Mark as he carried out work on the farm, which straddles the road between Framfield and Buxted. However, as Mark, who was travelling on a quad bike, crossed the main road to get to land to the east of the farm, Poppy was taken.

Nadine said: 'What seems to have happened is Poppy was right outside a neighbour's house when a car pulled up and a woman got out. The woman picked up Poppy and knocked on our neighbours' door to ask if she was their dog. When he said no, she took Poppy and drove off. Our neighbour saw her in the car being driven away.'

She added: 'The girls are all so upset. They've been in tears all week. One of them even has nightmares that she's going to be taken just like Poppy was.