The clock is ticking for three thieves who have been given until 6pm tonight to return two macaws they stole from a pub zoo - or their pictures will be posted online.

Andy Cowell, landlord of the Fenn Bell at St Mary Hoo, revealed on the pub's Facebook page that the grounds were broken into just after 11pm on Sunday.

The post has now been shared more than 11,000 times, across the country.

The intruders broke into the parrot aviary and hunted the birds for 30 minutes before stuffing two macaws into a bag and fleeing the scene.

One macaw was blue and gold and the other was a green wing, which despite its name is mainly red in colour.

In a post on the Fenn Bell's Facebook page, Mr Cowell said: "Not only have these three lads broken into our private home and put my wife, daughter and mum at risk, they have stolen part of what the dream of the Fenn Bell was and is about."

He added: "To the lads that did this, I know that you will read this and people will know who you are.

"I will give you one chance to bring them back unharmed and we will not call the police and not take it any further.

"Let me make it clear though that if you do not return the birds by 6pm on the 13th September I will contact the police and along with our thousands of Facebook friends we will hunt you down.

"You should know that we have images of you from various cameras on our CCTV and have watched you struggling for nearly half an hour to capture our birds before violently stuffing them into a bag on the floor and these pictures will be put on Facebook.

"I ask all people who read this to share it and ensure these three people know how many people will be looking for them and to convince them to return our birds to our care immediately.

"Can I just take a moment to let you know that these birds would have been petrified. Just think about what these people have done.

"They have got in late at night whilst the birds were sleeping, netted them up, put them into a sack and run down our field whilst the birds were screaming with fear. I can't put into words the extent of my anger.

"We started this project two years ago with a dream that we could offer families a chance to come and share time together here with us and our animals.

"Whether you are rich or poor, able-bodied or disabled our gates have been open for everyone. I now have to question myself as to whether this is the right thing to do and whether we carry on."

The zoo opened at the Fenn Inn in July 2015 and is home to animals including marmosets, squirrel monkeys, a coati, a south American racoon, kunekune pigs, great grey owls, geese, and chickens.