A ONE-EYED miniature Shetland pony has been found more than a week after he was stolen from his field in Berkeley.

Basil, a Blue Cross rescue pony, was stolen from his home on May 21.

Following a campaign to bring him home, the 11-year-old gelding was discovered by a dog walker, tied up in a graveyard in Winterbourne on Sunday.

Basil was on loan from the Blue Cross pet charity, which initially rehomes horses on loan, to make sure both the horse and potential new owner are a good match.

His borrower, Ali Bluck was delighted to be reunited with the pony.

She said: “I’m completely ecstatic, as you can imagine.”

Ali said Basil was taken from the paddock he shares with her other rescue horse Pio during a 10-minute window.

“They must’ve been watching me,” she said.

“I left, drove past the paddock and saw Basil and Pio, then I got a phone call 10 minutes later from my partner Jeremy to say Basil had been stolen.

“Jeremy heard Pio whinnying hysterically, went outside and Basil was gone.

“Whoever took him went through three sets of gates, one of which was electronic, to get to him.”

Ali said Basil’s theft hit her hard.

“My faith in humanity hit rock bottom,” she said.

“But the support of the Blue Cross and the phenomenal kindness of people after the theft quickly restored that faith,” she said.

After Basil was stolen the Blue Cross started a campaign to get him home, and asked the public to make him ‘too hot to handle’.

“The public, media and other charities were sharing Basil’s story far and wide. All the support gave me hope that someone might spot him,” said Ali.

Then on Sunday morning she received the call she’d been longing for - Basil had been found.

Apart from a minor eye infection and being hungry and dehydrated, he was fine.

“On Sunday evening he was dejected and bewildered, but by Monday he was saying ‘where’s my breakfast’,” said Ali.

“I can’t thank people enough for sharing his story – every single share is what got him home.”

Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call 101, quoting incident 479 of 21 May.