THE distressed owners of Bruno, a pot-bellied pig who vanished without trace six weeks ago, now believe he has been "pig-knapped".

The little black nine-month old Vietnamese porker vanished from moorland near his Belmont home, leaving owners Morteza and Julie Zabhi and their four children heartbroken.

They launched a frantic search of their Lower Pasture Barn farm home along with local farmers who ventured out on quadbikes and horseback - but Bruno was nowhere to be seen.

The search party even took Bruno's favourite treat with them - miniature Swiss rolls. But there still has been no sign.

Mr Zabhi is now convinced that the beloved family pet has been stolen - and now he is appealing to the pig-knappers to return the friendly porker back to his rightful home.

Mr Zabhi, a father-of-four said: "We have looked again and again for Bruno and he's nowhere to be seen. It would have been impossible for Bruno to have escaped from the farm, so we think that someone has pinched him.

"If someone has taken Bruno I hope that they are looking after him properly. He doesn't have much monetary value at all, I just don't know who would want to steal him."

Mr Zabhi said his children, Haydn, aged 12, Zoe, aged 14 and Gupter and Danny, both aged 19, have been devastated about the mystery disappearance of Bruno, who they have owned since he was just nine weeks old.

Hopes were raised when the family got word that a pig had been found wandering along a motorway near Oswaldtwistle. But they were crestfallen to discover it was not Bruno. Mr Zabhi said: "The children are absolutely sick with worry. Every time they see something black moving in the fields they run over thinking it's Bruno. Yet every time they have been left disappointed.

"We don't want to give up hope. He's such a friendly pig, we used to feed him by hand and he showed a lot of affection. We love him very much and we just want Bruno back safe and sound."

The family is offering a £50 reward. Call Mr Zabhi on 01254 830 794 or 07855 369497.