A cat has been reunited with its owners after it was trapped inside a motorhome when it was stolen from South Normanton.

The Fiat Swift motorhome was reported stolen from Lilac Grove just after 7.30pm on Sunday, February 19.

Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Armed Response Unit, the force’s Roads Policing Unit and South Yorkshire Police responded to the report and tracked the vehicle to Sheffield.

The motorhome, and it’s four-legged passenger – where retrieved and handed back to its owners, who were visiting friends at the time of the incident.

Sergeant Nick Allgood, part of Derbyshire Constabulary’s Armed Response Unit, said: “The owners of the motorhome live in the vehicle so, for them, it was the theft of their house rather than another motorhome.

“The thieves managed to change the number plates on the vehicle but failed to look into the living area inside hence why they didn’t spot the cat, if they had seen the animal, they probably would’ve just dumped it so it’s a good job we got there before they had chance to.

“It was a great job to be involved in and showed brilliant team work not only between ourselves and our Roads Policing Team but also our colleagues north of the border in South Yorkshire, and to be able to reunite the cat and the motorhome with the owners just added to the sense of a job well done.”