When Mandy Bradford's missing dog Smudge was returned to her she could not stop crying.

For three days she thought her Staffordshire Bull Terrier was lost forever.

Smudge went missing from her back garden on the evening of Tuesday.

Mrs Bradford, 29, of Poplar Avenue in Pinehurst and her daughter Caroline were absolutely devastated.

They put up posters all across the Pinehurst area to see if anyone had seen the black and white dog.

And when the dog was returned to them on Fridaynight they were overjoyed.

In Mandy's opinion the dog was stolen, as there is no way Smudge could have escaped from the walled-off garden.

She said: "We were absolutely terrified that we would never see Smudge again.

"She must have been stolen as there was no other way she could have got out.

"We cried when she went missing and then we cried again when she was returned. It is such a relief."