THE story of three baby goats feared dead after being stolen from their mother’s side has had a happy ending.

The cute trio were kidnapped seven weeks ago and hopes for their survival were slim as they had not been weaned. But now they have been reunited with their mother – after being found wandering abandoned in a back street on Teesside.

Pygmy goats Snowy, Maizy and Billy were born in August at the Easingwold Maize Maze and proved very popular with visiting children.

But when the attraction closed for the season early last month, thieves climbed into a fenced enclosure and made off with the young goats, leaving their mother very distressed.

Owner Paul Caygill feared the three-week-old animals would die without being fed by their mother and, as the weeks slipped by, hopes that they were still alive began to fade.

But on Wednesday, anxiety turned to delight when police, acting on a tip-off from a member of the public, found them dumped in a Middlesbrough back street.

Mr Caygill has collected the trio and taken them back to his farm.

He said they were undernourished and would have to be hand-reared because their mother was no longer producing milk.

“They’re in a much different condition to when they were stolen, but we think they’ll all pull through,” said Mr Caygill.

“The police picked them up in a back street in Middlesbrough, next to an industrial estate. It sounds like they’ve been dumped.

“They’ve maybe had them for a while and were struggling with them so got rid of them.”

He added: “The priority now will be to spend the next few weeks nursing them back to full health.

“A very sad situation has, thankfully, had a happy ending.”

The thieves have still to be traced and anyone who can help police is asked to call 0845-60-60-24-7, or Crimestoppers on 0800-555-111.

􀁧 Two pygmy goats stolen from a farm in Oakenshaw, near Willington, County Durham, two weeks ago have still not been found.