A family has been left heartbroken after two young dogs were stolen from their back garden.

The treasured pets - mother Darlin and her puppy Darcie - were swiped from their home in Chilham, near Canterbury, in broad daylight.

Their devastated owners have been left feeling “like a family relative has died”, and fearing for the dogs’ welfare.

Darlin - a black-and-white cockapoo, cocker spaniel cross - was given to Amy, now five years old, as a puppy.

Her mum, Rosie, said: “She absolutely thinks the world of them. She absolutely dotes on those dogs. She takes them everywhere with her.

“They’re part of our family.”

But the dogs were found to be missing from the family’s back garden, on the A28 Ashford Road, at about 4.30pm on Thursday.

“I went out to shout them, and they didn’t come,” recalls Rosie.

“I just knew straight away something wasn’t right.”

The family searched frantically around their property and the village of Chilham, fruitlessly scouring the local playing field and woodland.

"My dogs don't wander off my property," said Rosie. "I live on 4.5 acres, and they have so much land to run and roam and play on.

"If they did get out they would have been somewhere local, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"They one hundred per cent were stolen."

The family contacted the police, who are now investigating.

Rosie reports that a suspicious woman visited her property shortly before Darlin and Darcie disappeared, claiming to be asking for directions to the nearest train station.

The woman is believed to have taken a detour to where the dogs were playing outdoors, before leaving the property.

Rosie says she fears for what Darlin and Darcie are now going through.

The mum-of-six said: “I’m thinking ‘have my dogs been taken to be used for bait dogs? Are they scared? Are they being fed? Are they being looked after? Are they being beaten?’.

“It’s hard not to think those things.

“I don’t think these people are going to treat the dogs how we did.

“Our dogs were groomed every eight weeks, they used to come out on picnics, on family walks. The dogs were part of our family.

“They don’t like strangers and I know they’ll be scared - the thought of picturing them scared, chucked in somewhere horrible, it just makes my stomach churn.”

Rosie has broken the news of what happened to her four eldest children, but says she has not yet had the heart to tell Amy or her youngest son, who is four.

“I can’t face telling her yet,” she said.

“I was hoping by now we’d get them back, but obviously we haven’t and I’ll have to tell her at some point.

“I’ve just told them they’ve gone to work with Santa, making toys for pets.”

Police are investigating the reported theft, which is believed to have taken place between 2.45pm and 2.55pm on Thursday.

Anyone with information should call 01843 222289, quoting 46/32785/22.