A DOG owner was lured to a secluded car park and forced to hand over hundreds of pounds in cash to rescue her pets from dog-nappers.

Rachael Smith from Kendal, has spoken of her disgust for the thieves who stole her pet Lakeland Terriers, adult bitch Manic and her two-year-old pup Griz, and then demanded £500 for their safe return.

"Last Tuesday, my partner took them to work with him at Halton Mills, near Lancaster, and he let them go outside for a couple of minutes to do the toilet and they disappeared. When they didn't come back he phoned me and we spent all day and night looking for them," said Miss Smith, a self-employed cleaner.

She was so desperate to find them that she cancelled all her work appointments to enable her to continue the search for the dogs she has owned since they were puppies and, along with members of her family, spent the rest of the week combing the Lancaster area for clues.

"By Thursday we had almost given up hope but as a last resort we put up a few posters offering a £500 reward for their safe return. Later that day I received an anonymous call on my mobile from a man saying he had my dogs and would phone me back later," said Miss Smith.

"He called back later and told me that he would get them back for me for £500.

The caller rang a third time later that night with details of how to collect the dogs in return for the ransom.

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