Christmas has come early for the delighted Jones children after being reunited with their stolen puppy Buster.

Five-year-old Oliver was so upset when the family pet was taken he asked Santa Claus to bring him back.

And 11 days after being snatched while on a walk in Plump Hill, the cocker spaniel was found.

Now Buster is back home and his Mitcheldean family are celebrating a mini-Christmas miracle.

"Although we never gave up hope, we can hardly believe he was found after being missing for 11 days," said owner Emma Jones.

"It was a nightmare with a happy ending."

Despite mounting a major search, Emma could hardly believe her ears when she was told she could pick Buster up from a dog sanctuary in Cardiff on Friday.

"I was on a shopping trip to Gloucester when I had the call to say he had been found," said Emma.

"I was in floods of tears and blubbing like an idiot in the middle of Debenhams.

"I'm not sure about the exact details but I understand a dog warden saw him on a travellers' site in Newport and recognised him from all the publicity.

"They didn't say anything at the time but went back later and scanned him."

Luckily Buster had been chipped and Emma and two-year-old daughter Charlotte raced to Cardiff to pick him up.

Now he's back home in Mitcheldean chewing up slippers and lounging on his bean bag as if he'd never been away.

"I was worried he wouldn't recognise us because 11 days is a long time in his short life, but he knew us straight away," said Emma.

"As soon as he saw us he went mad and when he got back home he settled in straight away.

"We had him checked out by a vet and although he had few fleas and was a little on the hungry side, he hadn't been badly looked after or mistreated."

All the publicity about Buster's disappearance made him too hot to handle in the Forest and warden Nick Brain ensured neighbouring counties were on the look-out for the lovable pooch.

Husband Clive, who was walking Buster when he was snatched by a man in a white Transit van, is over the moon, and nearly as pleased as little Oliver.