A STOLEN 12-week-old puppy has been reunited with her overjoyed owners.

Star, a blue and white Staffordshire bull terrier, disappeared from the enclosed garden of the Rising Sun pub in Marsham Street, Maidstone, in October.

A bizarre set of circumstances have now led to the discovery of the pure breed puppy in Swanley.

Star’s owner Helen Byrne, manager of the Rising Sun pub, was contacted by Di Butler whose stolen racing greyhound puppy Bluebell was featured in the same article.

Bluebell had been grabbed from her home in Stockbury just three days after Star went missing.

Mrs Byrne said: “It was a huge coincidence that Di showed a picture of Star to a lady in Swanley, who recognised Star and thought she was living nearby.”

After further inquiries, Mrs Byrne, her husband and her son, approached the new owners.

Mrs Byrne said: “I went to the door and called her and she just went ballistic. It was clear that she was our dog. It’s fantastic to have her back. It's like she’s never been away.”

A spokeswoman from Kent Police said an investigation was under way.