A WOMAN’S beloved pet turtles may have been stolen due to a surge in their popularity caused by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, an expert has claimed.

Samantha Collier, 23, found her unlocked front door partially open on Saturday night, before noticing the lid had been taken off of her aquatic tank.

Her red-eared yellow-bellied slider turtles had been stolen from the living room of her home in Chapel Street, Nelson.

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Nicola Whalley, a specialist in reptiles and exotic pets at Pinewood Veterinary Practice in Chorley said: “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was related to the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film that is about to come out. We call it the 101 Dalmations effect.

"Whenever there is a big animal movie out we see a huge surge in demand for those animals and I’ve no doubt that turtles are about to become hugely sought-after pets.”

Miss Collier, who was upstairs with her boyfriend when the theft happened at around 11pm, said she had been left shaken and was struggling to sleep.

She said: “I’m just petrified. It’s really creepy that someone can enter your house and steal your pets while you are at home.”

Nothing else was taken, despite there being other valuables lying around, and neither Miss Collier nor her partner, Thom Chapman, heard anything.

Animal lover Miss Collier bought the turtles four and a half years ago from a pet shop in Market Street. She was told they had been abandoned and couldn’t bare to leave them behind.

She said: “Some people think they are ugly but I loved them so much. They are so cute and really great pets. Whoever has stolen them won’t know how to look after them at all and I’m terrified they’ll die.”

Miss Whalley said it was a highly unusual case, and added: “Turtles are act-ually problem pets. They need a heated tank and a UBV light to help them digest food and without them they will perish.”

A spokeswoman for Lan-cashire Police said: “A decision was made not to look for fingerprints.”

Anyone with any info-rmation should contact police on 101.