OFFICERS carrying out a drugs raid at a Basingstoke home found a stolen puppy.

The drugs warrant took place at a home in South Ham on Sunday, February 3.

Once inside, officers found a four-month-old American bulldog puppy. A dog warden checked its microchip and found the puppy had been stolen during an aggravated burglary in Leyton, east London, on January 17.

The owners of the puppy travelled to Basingstoke on Monday, February 4 to collect it.

PC Paul Scott said: “We are very pleased that we have been able to recover this much loved family pet and reunite it with its owners.

“This incident highlights the importance of micro-chipping your pets as in this case it has enabled us to identify where the puppy was from and return it to its rightful owners.”

A 44-year-old man from Basingstoke was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and has been released without charge.