Essex: Fake delivery driver steals terrified dachshund named Twiglet | UK News

Gut-wrenching CCTV footage has captured the moment an adorable dog was brutally stolen from her home by a masked thief with a hammer.

Twiglet, a brown miniature dachshund, was snatched away by a heartless burglar posing as a delivery driver at a house in Saffron Walden, Essex.

A distressing video of the incident shows alarms sounding and the dog barking repeatedly at the man as he breaks into the property wearing a face covering.

Dressed in a hi-vis jacket with blue jeans, white trainers, gloves and a baseball cap, the intruder is seen trying to corner the 16-month-old pup in the kitchen.

The little dog is seen frantically panicking and trying to escape the stranger’s clutches as she skids across the floor in an attempt to scuttle away.

But the cruel thief forcefully pins Twiglet to the ground using his hands and the hammer, while she continues to yelp and cry.

Completely petrified, Twiglet desperately tries to wriggle free and almost manages to get away but the man then aggressively yanks her upwards.

He clamps his hand over her mouth in an attempt to stop her barking before picking her up and quickly fleeing the scene in Catmere End via the smashed glass door. 

Twiglet hasn’t been seen since she was taken from her home in horrific circumstances at around 3pm yesterday (Wednesday, July 27). 

Police have released the shocking footage of her theft in a bid to find the animal and return her to her distraught owners.

Detective inspector Jamie Stirland said: ‘This burglary has been incredibly distressing for the victims and, as the public can imagine, they just want to see the safe return of Twiglet.

‘Thefts such as these are rare and we are taking this investigation seriously and carrying out multiple inquiries, including reviewing CCTV in the area.

‘We are appealing to anyone who may have any information to contact us and assist with this investigation.

‘I am also directly appealing to the man in this video, asking him to return Twiglet safely.’

No arrests have been made and officers are continuing their enquiries. 

Essex Police has asked anyone with information such as relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to contact the force on 101 or report it online.

Earlier this month, a dog that had been ‘abandoned for days in a stolen car’ was rescued by police officers and reunited with its owners.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.