A CALNE family was horrified when its pet chicken had its head ripped off.

Shelley Green, of North Street, said her three children Harry, eight, Remi, five, and Archie, three, were horrified and upset by what had happened to their pet, Lucy.

She said she was particularly worried because someone must have crept into her garden during the night and attacked the chicken while they were asleep.

Harry was the first to spot the headless chicken lying in the garden, through the kitchen window.

There was no blood or feathers at the scene, and despite a search, the family were unable to find the bird's head.

Three eggs had been stolen which convinced Mrs Green that it was not an animal that had attacked Lucy.

She said: "It has been quite upsetting for us all.

"I want the person who did it to realise that they have hurt my children. Lucy was a part of our family."

The chicken had been rescued from the processing factory in Sutton Benger where dad Philip Green works.

Mrs Green said: "She was a runt and my husband saved her and brought her home in September. We were really proud of her because she had just started laying eggs last week."

She said that she believes somebody climbed in over a trellis which surrounded the chicken run.

A police spokesman said the incident was probably an isolated one.

He said: "From experience, reports of such things to the police are extremely rare. It is always difficult to comment specifically because these things are not always down to criminal activity.

"Cats, dogs and foxes are equally capable of attacking a chicken."