Five Chihuahua bitches stolen from an exhibitor’s house in Doncaster and worth tens of thousands of pounds, have been found safe 130 miles away. They included a Crufts champion.

They had been abandoned in a cage in countryside near Culcheth, Cheshire, and are said to be traumatised but otherwise well.

Jogger Mark McCombe, 29, heard them barking near a farm track, picked up the cage and took them home. He then rang police.

Burglars smashed their way into Lucy Hilton’s home in Doncaster on Thursday of last week while she and her husband were out and snatched the dogs from their ‘playpen’ in the living room. Among them was 14-month-old fawn Longcoat Valenchino Made Of Candy who won best puppy in breed at Crufts this year. The others were three cream Longcoats aged four, five and two and a year-old tricolour Smooth.

Three male dogs were in the kitchen because three of the bitches were in season, and Mrs Hilton believes the thieves were unaware they were there.

Neighbours said they heard the dogs barking at about 1pm but assumed it was because Mrs Hilton had returned home.

The dogs were found on Monday following a nationwide alert about the theft. Mrs Hilton spoke of her relief saying: "We haven’t slept since the burglary; we feared we'd never see them again. Our kids cried non-stop.

"We’re never going to leave them alone again.”

Humberside Police said investigations would continue.