YOUNG Chloe Clark has been reunited with her stolen puppy Lou.

And the youngster’s delight follows an amazing stroke of luck.

The stolen puppy was spotted by a family friend being touted for sale by a group of youths outside Huddersfield’s Odeon Cinema – hours after a massive search of the streets around the family’s Fartown home.

It was on Sunday morning that Melanie Clark let the family border collie Buster out into the garden at Calton Street, Fartown, with new cocker spaniel puppy Lou.

She couldn’t believe it when she called the dogs in five minutes later and only Buster returned. There was no sign of the nine-week-old puppy.

After frantically searching the garden and street, she contacted her landlord Dave Singh and the police. All of her three children were upset, but especially six-year-old Chloe.

The incident was particularly distressing, as this was the second time the family’s pet had been dognapped. Just after moving into the Calton Street house a year ago, callous thieves stole their black Labrador cross, Ollie, from the garden. The family has not seen him since.

On Sunday, the police made enquiries in Fartown and the Clark family went out looking for Lou. Mr Singh also spent two hours making enquiries in the neighbourhood.

After two hours he gave up. But later that afternoon, Mr Singh drove his son Dav, 14, to the Odeon Cinema at the Galpharm Stadium, Bradley Mills Road, to see the new Johnny English film.

His daughter Maninderjit Kaur, 11, was also in the car when she spotted a familiar looking puppy outside the cinema with some youths. She was convinced it was Lou and told her father.

Mr Singh spoke with the cinema security guard. She approached the youths and they ran away, leaving the puppy – which was indeed Lou. They had been trying to sell the spaniel for £30.

Mrs Clark said: “I could not believe it when we got Lou back. We didn’t want to get anyone into trouble, we just wanted to get him home.

“It was really upsetting when Ollie was stolen. He was the family pet, the puppy of my mother’s dog.

“Chloe was so pleased to get Lou back that she burst into tears.

“It is shocking that anyone would lean into the garden and take him.”

Melanie and Mr Singh will now reinforce the fencing around the garden and install a higher fence.

Mr Singh said: “I was just happy to help. Mrs Clark is a very good tenant and we just want to keep her. It was just lucky that my daughter spotted the puppy at the cinema.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “A 19-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of theft, but were released without charge and no further action will be taken”.