Greater Manchester Police officers said four-month-old Dotty was snatched while the girl sat on swings in her garden in Moor Road in Orrell at 6.50pm on Saturday.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) posted an appeal on its Wigan West Facebook page, complete with two pictures of of Dotty, who was wearing a collar at the time.

The suspect was described as a mixed-race man in his 30s. He was wearing a black jumper with "SECURITY" on the front.

He trespassed into the garden, took the dog from the girl, and ran off in an unknown direction, police said.

The social media post has been shared over 6,000 times.

GMP are appealing to anyone who knows about this theft or to anyone who has seen Dotty to contact them.