FOUR stunning springer spaniel puppies have been stolen from a farm near Worcester.

The heartless theft left one of the 10-week-old pedigree pups' owners "gobsmacked".

Francis Shortall, aged 75, raised the litter of 10 "beautiful" puppies at the farm in Suckley.

He sold off five of the animals and kept one for himself and was shocked and saddened by the theft of the remaining quartet.

"They were in a kennel at the side of the house," Mr Shortall said.

"At around 6pm last night I left them out to do their business.

"I lock up around 9pm every night, by locking the kennel door and the gate into the kennel.

"When I came down in the morning I noticed they were both open and said 'oh my God I mustn't have locked them properly'.

"But somebody had clearly manipulated it open and taken the dogs.

"I just couldn't believe it.

"I spent some time walking around the place thinking maybe they did escape, even though I knew in my heart that they hadn't.

"I rang my son and he was gobsmacked."

Mr Shortall said he believes the theft probably took place between 9pm and midnight on Wednesday, as there was no mess in the kennel.

He also warned the thieves that the puppies will be tracked down as they have been registered at the vets.

Mr Shortall said: "We have some Alsatians that bark if they see anybody but we don't think they were disturbed.

"It's the first time anything has ever been taken.

"But whoever has stolen them will be found out - they're all chipped and logged.

"My concern is that someone might kill them or dump them somewhere."

He urged the thieves to return the puppies unharmed and not to sell them on, as they will be returned to Mr Shortall as soon as they go to a vet.

West Mercia Police asked anyone who saw anything suspicious to call them on the non-emergency number 101, quoting incident number 0122S of February 5.