Baby bantam is taken away by strangers - but foul play is not suspected

A HEARTBROKEN Uplyme schoolgirl has appealed for the return of her pet baby chicken after it was taken away by strangers.

Eight-year-old Tabby Young’s bantam chick “Cheep Cheep” was carried off by a couple who stopped at her Rousdon home last week.

But foul play is not suspected.

While the family were out, the visitors were mistakenly given the bird by a well intentioned neighbour, who thought they had come to collect her.

Mum, Emma Young explained that they kept a number of bantams in their front garden and had recently bought a clutch of rare breed eggs to hatch under two of their hens.

New arrival Cheep Cheep was Tabby’s special favourite because she was lucky to survive, having been abandoned in her broken shell. She was nursed back to life by Mrs Young and eventually hatched on a hot water bottle in the kitchen.

So there were tears of dismay when the family came home to find Cheep Cheep – a gold laced frizzle feathered Polish bantam - had disappeared.

Said Mrs Young: “We thought at first a cat might have had her. We were saying what a shame it was to my neighbour, Lindsey, that she had disappeared when she told us she hadn’t - someone had come and collected her.

“Apparently she thought I had said someone from school might be having one of the chicks. And when Cheep Cheep got out and she was trying to catch her a couple walked past and stopped to help.

“They said something about Tabby’s school and she thought these were the people who had come to get her, so she let them take her away.

“It was all a complete misunderstanding. We were happy to give another chick away but not Cheep Cheep, which is the one Tabby really wanted to keep.

“So whoever has got her please could they get in touch and we will happily do a swap. She is special to us because we saved her when she should have died.”

Said Tabby: “We cried for about two hours because she had gone. The most upsetting thing is not knowing who has got her.”

Neighbour Lindsey Blake said: “It was a complete misunderstanding.”

Anyone who can help reunite Tabby with Cheep Cheep is asked to contact the family on (01297) 444755 or 07876 506858.