A TORTOISE has been stolen from a town centre pet shop.

The two-year-old reptile was stolen from it’s heated vivarium at Aquamania Pet Superstore in Blackburn by two thieves, police said.

Officers said the men in their late 20’s, entered the Higher Audley Street store and headed straight for the reptile area of the shop.

CCTV footage of the incident shows one of the man remove the glass from the front of the vivarium before placing the tortoise in his pocket.

Sales team leader Lindsay Eyre, 29, said: “We didn’t realise the tortoise had been stolen until a little later in the day.

“All the vivariums are locked but somehow they managed to slide out the glass without us knowing.

“The footage shows them just place the tortoise in their pocket.

“I think they must have known what they were after as they didn’t browse the shop they just went straight to reptile section.”

Staff are now growing concerned about the health of the animal which retails at £200 and needs to be kept warm and fed a specialist diet.

Lindsay said: “I just urge anyone who knows who has the tortoise to contact police or bring it back.

“Tortoises are cold blooded creatures who need heat and UVB light.

“Without their specialist food and the correct facilities the animal will die.

“If someone receives it as a pet I urge them to get in touch with us as they won’t know how to care for it.”

Police said the theft was being treated as an incident of shoplifting.

Both thieves are described as white, in their late 20’s, dressed in black tracksuit bottoms.

A Lancashire police spokesman, said: “I appeal for anyone with information about the theft of this tortoise to come forward and contact police on 101.”