PRIZED poodle pups were stolen during a raid on a stables in Pendle.

Animal lovers Mary and John Jackson, of Padiham Road, Sabden, said they were devastated by the theft of three male 10-week-old pooches from Haddings Head Barn, Higham.

Lancashire police said they were investigating the incident, and appealed for rural communities to be wary of the stolen animals being sold on.

Mrs Jackson, 58, said very few people would have known the dogs were even born, and that she believed they had been stolen to order.

She said: "We are gutted. We can't understand why anyone would want to steal these. Their mum, Ellie, is heartbroken and so are we.

"We just feel sick and worried about who has them and how they are being treated. If anyone is offered them, I would urge them to either report the person selling them or buy them and we will buy them back.

"There is a guard dog at the stables but obviously whoever had done it has gone unnoticed. There was no vehicle spotted and no real damage.

"It's a pretty remote area and the night it happened was windy and miserable so we don't hold much hope of getting the pups back."

The couple keep dozens of animals including horses, goats, hens and rabbits at the stables, off Guide Lane, which they own.

Retired Mr Jackson, 65, said the black toy poodles were taken some time between 6pm on May 31 and 9am on June 1.

He said: "They are probably worth about £500 each. Oddly, they also took two large dog bowls but absolutely nothing else.

"There was no damage to the stables. The police are looking into it but it's going to be difficult to trace them unless someone recognises them.

"We never named them so one of them has its face clipped, another had its feet clipped and the other isn't clipped at all so we could tell them apart."