A YOUNG girl has been reunited with one of the two puppies stolen from the garden of her home.

Lurcher dogs Lass and Sox were tempted out of their pens with meat by intruders on Sunday night.

In The Northern Echo yesterday, Karen Jones, of Eldon Street, Darlington, made a plea for anyone with information about the puppies to contact her.

Her daughter, Emma, ten, along with brothers Arron and Charlie, were devastated by their disappearance. Emma was given the dogs as a present to console her after an accident in June that resulted in her having her little finger amputated.

At 10am yesterday, Miss Jones received a call from a woman who had read the newspaper to tell her that a white lurcher had been let loose in the Kensington Gardens area of town and had been picked up by the dog warden.

Miss Jones said: "I rang the dog warden and went to the police station where the dog was. It was Lass -I was amazed. We are just all over the moon, we really did not expect to see either of them again. She is a little skinnier than usual, but looks alright.

"Obviously we would just love to get Sox back now."

Four-month-old Sox is brown with white paws and a white flash on her chest. A reward has been offered for her safe return.

Anyone with information has been asked to call (07731) 692161.