Thieves who stole a four-week-old puppy have been tormenting its owner with malicious phone calls.

Joan Hill, 48, said within an hour of the female Yorkshire Terrier being taken she received a call taunting her about the theft and mimicking her Scottish accent.

The Edinburgh-born cook, who has lived in Bradford for the past 13 years, said the calls were being made by a couple who had responded to an advert for the puppies.

The mum-of-four said she had received a call on Sunday from a woman with an Irish accent asking if the puppies, valued at £350 each, were still for sale.

The woman, who said she was travelling from Leeds, made immediate arrangements to visit Mrs Hill at her home in Woodside, Bradford.

She arrived accompanied by a male passenger in his 20s, who stayed in the blue Ford Escort throughout the visit.

Mrs Hill said after looking at the puppies, who usually only leave their mum after being fully weaned at about six to eight weeks old, the woman asked if she could show one of them to her husband in the car.

Mrs Hill said she would normally not allow such a young dog outside, but she agreed to let the woman take the puppy outside wrapped in a blanket after being told the woman's husband could not walk.

"I was starting to get suspicious," said Mrs Hill, who said she went back into the house to write down the vehicle registration, which started M182.

It was then that the woman - who was described as being in her 20s with dark brown or black hair tied back in a pony tail and wearing three-quarter length jeans and a blue and white striped top - got into the car and sped off.

The theft was reported to police immediately and, as Mrs Hill waited for officers to arrive a woman with an English accent telephoned.

"There was a lot of giggling, then the man came on and said we are the ones that have got your puppy'. They were laughing and putting on a Scots accent," she said.

Mrs Hill's friend Gina Wooding also answered a call from the couple, who reportedly jeered: "We have got your puppy, what are you going to do about it?"

Mrs Hill, who was widowed last year, said when the callers were told that the car's registration had been recorded they swore and slammed the phone down.

A third call was answered by Mrs Hill's 20-year-old son Richard, who was told: "We are the big, bad people who have your puppy."

Mrs Hill, who reported the calls to police, said she had felt upset and vulnerable.

"I have been breeding dogs for 14 years and I have never heard of anything like this.

I just want other breeders to be aware of this, it's quite frightening really.

"It's bad enough doing what they have done, but phoning back and laughing about it, that's just sick," she said.

She said she was worried about the welfare of the puppy, who had still been feeding from its mother when it was taken and had not been security tagged.

Police are investigating the theft, which happened at about 5.30pm on Sunday.

Anyone with information is asked to telephone Bradford South on (01274) 376459 and ask for PC 2509 Anthony Knox.