A TORTOISE owner is appealing for help to track down her missing pet.

Buttercup, an eight-year-old Hermann Tortoise, disappeared from its pen at the home of Wendy Power in Hillstone Close, Greenmount, on Friday.

Mrs Power, a florist aged 50, fears the animal may have been stolen.

She said: “Buttercup’s netting hasn’t been broken so I don’t think an animal has picked her up — it’s likely that somebody has taken her.

“I’ve had Buttercup since she was a few weeks old and I’m worried that, if she is in the wrong hands, she won’t survive for long.

“It’s still mild enough for a Hermann Tortoise to move around, but in the winter, they need to be kept inside.

“I’m going to put up signs around Green- mount in case anyone has seen her.”

Ian Mostyn, an exotic specialist at Pennine Vets, said: “Hermann Tortoises are from the Mediterranean, so they are not designed to hibernate outside in the UK. At the moment, Buttercup will be all right, because the weather is quite mild, but we need to find her before the autumnal weather and colder temperatures kick in.

“The main places to look for Buttercup are under piles of leaves, under the grass or under soil, because they like to bury themselves under the ground.

“They can be found by using a bamboo pole and prodding at the ground, but do not use a garden rake or spade.

“If anybody has long grass, please make sure that there is not a tortoise buried under the grass.”

Contact Pennine Vets on 01204 886655.