A FOUR-day old piglet stolen from a leisure farm will die unless it can be reunited with its mother.

The black micro-piglet - small enough to fit in the palm of an adult’s hand - was snatched from Newham Grange Leisure Farm in Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, on Saturday at about 4.15pm.

A baby guinea pig was also stolen – but as it was five weeks old, stands a better chance of survival without its mother than the micro pig.

Farm manager Mark Saunders said a small group of people had been asked to leave after “making a nuisance of themselves” – including smoking in the bar area and entering the animal pens a number of times.

He said: “When the group left one of the women stayed behind and we think it was then that she snatched the animals.

“Staff called me and when I checked on the piglets they were all wet because I think the woman had been pouring water on them to get the mother away so she could grab one of the babies.

“This piglet was only four days old and so tiny. It probably won’t survive away from its mother and these people won’t have the correct replacement milk to give it and will be feeding it on cows milk or something. It also needs to be kept quite warm.

“The pigs are tiny when they are babies but they grow to the size of a springer spaniel. If it does survive these type of pigs can be quite vicious if they are not treated properly.”

The woman ran from the farm into a waiting car, a silver T-reg Ford Focus Zetec, after snatching the pig and the guinea pig.

The woman was accompanied by another woman, a man wearing a blue tracksuit, a small blonde child and a baby. One of the women is described as having red hair, is white and of heavy build.

PC Lyndsay Dale said: “This has been extremely distressing not only for the mother of the piglet but also for the staff who work at the farm."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact PC Lyndsay Dale on the non-emergency 101 number or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.