A DOG owner desperately drove after a thief who had sped off after stealing her dachshund puppy.

Unfortunately, the 4X4 driver managed to get away from Sue Johnson, who has now made a desperate appeal for the return of Archie.

Sue had left the 14-week-old pedigree dog in his crate locked in her car for a few minutes as she went to check on her horses in a field off the Enmore road.

Bridgwater Mercury:

The spot on the Enmore road where Archie was stolen.

It appears the thief forced a window she had left slightly open.

"I'd parked up opposite the field at Durleigh Wetlands and gone into the field to check on the horses," said Mrs Johnson.

"All of a sudden the car alarm went off, so I went to investigate.

"When I got to the gate, I discovered a 4X4 up the road and one of the doors of my car was wide open. The crate and the puppy had gone."

Mrs Johnson, who lives in Bridgwater, jumped into her car and set off after the thief, only to lose them."

She believes she was being watched and then followed before the theft a fortnight ago.

"How anybody could do this is unbelievable," she said. "It all happened so quickly.

"We'd had Archie since he was eight-weeks-old, just enough time for him to get attached to us and us to him."

Archie is chipped and Mrs Johnson has his DNA, which she hopes might persuade the thief to return him.

Lisa Dean, of Beauty's Legacy charity which reunites lost and stolen animals with their owners and promotes animal welfare, said dachshunds are currently "the dog of choice", with puppies selling for "a couple thousand pounds".

She added: "Sadly it's such a lucrative crime

"At the moment, the theft of pedigree puppies is such a lucrative crime.

"If they could cap the cost at say £500, then the thefts would stop because there wouldn't be any money in it.

"As things stand, it's a relatively low risk, high profit crime."

Anyone who has any information about where Archie may be is asked to call Lisa Dean on 07866 026343 or Susan Johnson Dean on 07812 160986.