AN EIGHT-year-old girl has been left devastated after her beloved puppy was stolen by thieves who ransacked the family home as they slept.

Izzy Duffy had saved all her birthday, Christmas and pocket money for three years so she could help pay for Skittles, a 14-week-old black and white Shih Tzu.

Burglars forced open a ground floor window and took the family’s mobile phones, wallets, games consoles, tablet computers, cameras, and a laptop, before stealing the puppy in its cage.

The family’s BMW X5 was also stolen on the night, but it had very little fuel in following a family trip to Anglesey and was dumped a mile from their home in Tonacliffe Road, Whitworth.

Izzy’s dad, Dr Chris Duffy, said Izzy and her six-year-old brother, Alistair, were distraught when they realised the dog had gone.

He said: “We can replace the property, but this has really hurt the kids.

“Izzy just cried and cried.

“She couldn’t go to school on the following day because she was so upset.

“But the school understood because every free choice of work she gets is dog-related, and we had only taken Skittles in the previous week to show all the other children.”

The family had the dog micro-chipped and they are hoping a vet will soon identify it and alert the police.

Shih Tzu puppies can sell at between £300 and £600.

Dr Duffy, who is married to fellow doctor, Shona, said: “We had a lovely weekend away and then woke up the next day and were absolutely gutted.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Constabulary said: “This was a high value burglary and we are determined to reunite the family with their property.

“The family is most devastated about their 14-week-old puppy being stolen and we would appeal to anybody who might know where it is to come forward.

“If anybody has any information at all about the burglary or knows who is responsible please contact police on 101, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”