Pensioner’s anguish after crooks steal her beloved blind hedgehog during van theft
- Veronica Tett, 77, has not slept since Stephen was taken with the van in Leeds
- Stephen was cared for by Tett at her injured hedgehog charity in Lincolnshire
- Stephen was their since he was sprayed with chemicals and blinded this year
A pensioner has begged thieves who stole a van containing her ‘lovely’ blind hedgehog to return him unharmed.
Veronica Tett, 77, has not slept since Stephen was taken with the van in Leeds.
Stephen has been cared for by Mrs Tett and husband Frank at their injured hedgehog charity, in north Lincolnshire, since he was sprayed with chemicals and blinded earlier this year.
Veronica Tett, 77, has not slept since Stephen (pictured) was taken with the van in Leeds
Mrs Tett said the staff at Andrew’s Hedgehog Hospital, in Appleby, near Scunthorpe, are ‘beside themselves’ since he disappeared.
She said Mr Tett, 80, had taken Stephen to raise awareness about hedgehogs at a market in Albion Street, Leeds, when the van was stolen.
Mrs Tett, a retired business owner, said: ‘I need my hedgehog. ‘I don’t mind about the van, vans are replaceable, hedgehogs aren’t.
Mrs Tett, a retired business owner, said: ‘I need my hedgehog. ‘I don’t mind about the van, vans are replaceable, hedgehogs aren’t’ (stock pictured)
‘I’ve put messages up to the person who took the van saying ‘you can keep it, can I please have my hedgehog back fit and healthy and we’ll give you a reward’.’
Mrs Tett asked people to look out for the pale grey cat carrier, with a black wire door, that he was in.
She said: ‘He might starve or die from dehydration, he’s got no food or water, he could have been flung out and injured.’
West Yorkshire Police said they ‘received a report of a theft of a Vauxhall Combo van at 8.22am on Saturday’.