A BULLDOG that was stolen from a home in Roydon has been found by police during a drugs raid.

Three-year-old Alfie was snatched in broad daylight from a back garden in the village in August, prompting extensive searches by his heartbroken owners and several police appeals.

But now the dog has been returned home after police found him cowering and chained up during a raid on a property in Harlow yesterday (Tuesday January 26).

Despite losing two stone in weight since his disappearance, Alfie is in good health and expected to make a full recovery from his ordeal.

Essex Police spokeswoman Denise Harvey, who issued several media appeals to find Alfie, discovered him as she was taking photographs of the scene.

She said: "I was walking past when I heard this crying, whimpering sound.

"I thought I had seen something move so I retraced my steps and I saw his face poking out.

"He was so thin I didn't recognise him, but he did have a chip. When my colleagues came back and said it was Alfie I couldn't believe it.

"It's been wonderful to hand him back and see him reunited with his rightful owners. It's incidents like this that makes what we do all worthwhile."

Chris Nicolas, a 45-year-old company director, said his family were delighted to have Alfie home.

He said: “I did say to my wife that normally when something is stolen if it hasn't turned up in a couple of months then that's probably it.

“We were in the process of getting a new dog – we never expected to see him again.

“My wife took the call from the police and she just broke down. I asked her what it was and I was just amazed.”

He added: “From the pictures it looks absolutely disgusting the way they treated him.

“It was really horrible when he was taken. My two little girls kept asking when he was coming back.

“I think he's still quite traumatised by what happened but we're going to give him a lot of love and attention and hopefully he'll be back to full strength soon.”

No arrests have been made in connection with the theft of Alfie, and no-one was at the site when he was discovered.

However officers did make four arrests during co-ordinated raids at other sites.

The police action, codenamed Operation Bracken, saw several linked raids and 24 warrants executed across the Harlow area yesterday morning.

Two men, aged 22 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis, while another two, aged 38 and 20, were arrested for public disorder.

They were all seized at Fernhill Lane in Harlow, and all of them live in the Harlow area.

Harlow district commander, chief inspector Nick Morris said: “A significant amount of resources and partner agencies were committed to this operation.

“It was specifically planned to target individuals and not communities.

“We were acting upon intelligence gathered over a number of weeks and I would like assure the local community that we will continue to target any individuals involved in crime, wherever they may be.”

Officers were accompanied by a variety of other agencies, including HM Revenue and Customs and the RSPCA.

A stolen horsebox, van and two motorbikes were also recovered.