POSTERS appealing for help in finding six stolen lambs have been torn down.

Elisa Tindale has twice put up about six notices in the village of Brancepeth, near Durham, only to find they have been ripped up.

Elisa, 15 is the eldest of five sisters whose pet lambs, some only a few days old, were stolen from the stables at the family's smallholding in the village on Easter Sunday.

The family are worried that the animals may not get the four-hourly bottle feeding they need and will starve to death.

Elisa's mother, Lysette, said: "Twice they have come down. It can't be a coincidence.

"Other people put up posters for jumble sales and missing cats and there has been no problem with them.

"It makes us wonder if the lambs are being kept locally. Elisa is upset because she thinks whoever took them is still around."

Mrs Tindale said there had been no response yet to appeals for help in tracing the lambs, which are white females with black faces.

She said that time could be running out for the lambs if the thieves did not know how to care for them.

The family believe the lambs, which a local farmer gave to the girls to look after, could have been stolen to be sold as Easter presents.

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries are continuing and we would ask anyone with information to call Durham City police station on 0191-386 4222.''