Detectives say the disappearance of two tortoises from separate houses in Duston could be linked, amid fears a thief could be snatching the pets from gardens.
Police have today revealed a 33-year-old brown tortoise, named Ben Nevis, was taken from a pen in a garden in Mendip Road, Duston.
He is feared to have been swiped some time between 6pm on Sunday, June 9, and 6pm on Tuesday, June 11.
Police say the theft could be linked to the mystery disappearance of another tortoise, called Fred, who vanished nearby just days earlier.
He went missing from a house in Kenilworth Close, also in Duston, on Friday, June 7. His owners feared Fred had been stolen.
Happily, Fred was found close to his home a short while after being reported missing.
However, police have today appealed for help to find missing Ben Nevis, who they say has a dent on the back of his shell and has not been seen for more than a month.
His owners say he would not have been able to get out of the pen of his own accord.