DELIGHTED schoolchildren have been reunited with their two stolen hens - thanks in no small part to a Northern Echo article and social media.

As reported in last Friday's The Northern Echo, Chicken and Licken were stolen from Marchbank School in Darlington on Tuesday night during a break in.

An eagle-eyed Darlington resident, who had read the article, then went on to notice that two hens had mysteriously appeared in the garden of a house in the Branksome area around the same time Chicken and Licken went missing.

The resident took a photograph of the two birds which was then circulated on social media.

Darlington police were informed and after making extensive enquires, the hens were eventually handed over to their owner, school caretaker John Craggs, in a Darlington pub car park.

Mr Craggs said he was delighted to get the pair back as he never thought he would see them again.

He said: "It is smashing. We didn't expect anything back to tell the truth and the longer it has gone on, the more worried we were that we were not going to get them back.

"It was a long shot."

Mr Craggs said that the birds have now returned to the school where they were given their favourite treat of mealworms to perk them up after their traumatic experience.

He said: "It is such a happy day.

"The children are happy again and they've come back in time for Christmas.

"It has been a lovely, happy ending."

Mr Craggs was full of praise for Darlington PC Kat Mytton who "wasn't letting it go" when it appeared that the hens had ended up being passed on elsewhere.

The officer went to several addresses to try and track down the hens and Mr Craggs said the police were "fantastic" in their efforts to locate the birds.

He also praised the resident who initially noticed the hens in the Branksome garden and a person on Barnes Roads who gave information about the break-in.

Mr Craggs said: "I honestly can't thank everyone enough."

Marchbank, a free school on Barnes Road, specialises in teaching children who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

Chicken and Licken were introduced to the school as part of its curriculum and the children are taught how to collect the eggs and look after the birds.

When the school was broken into last week, the hen pen had all its locks damaged and two of the school’s three hens were stolen.

PC Kat Mytton, from the Darlington response team, said: “The children bred the chickens and raised them from eggs, the theft upset many of the pupils who were very much invested in looking after the hens.

“However, on Wednesday night officers received information that the chickens were seen in the Branksome area.

“After hours of enquires, door knocks and searches, the two hens were located safe and well.

“They have since been returned to their owner, the caretaker of the school.”

Police enquiries into the break-in are still ongoing and anyone with any information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting reference 176 of December 5.