Vicki Kerr has launched a massive search in the Banham area after her pet dog Digby ran away (Image: Vicki Kerr)

Drones and an infrared camera have been used in the search for a missing dog who was last seen “bolting” from a garden.

Vicki Kerr, who lives in Banham, grew alarmed after her 12-year-old springer spaniel, Digby, went missing at 3pm on Saturday (April 15) after being spooked by a loud noise and running away.

A village-wide hunt to find the pooch has now entered its third day and a former police officer from Kent will soon be joining the search.

Ms Kerr has put up posters around Banham asking for any information on Digby’s whereabouts (Image: Vicki Kerr)

The 47-year-old said: “I was at the bottom of my garden with Digby as he is my gardening buddy.

“Some grinding sounds were coming from a few doors up and he was very timid of loud noises so I immediately called him to put him inside but he had already bolted.

“I didn’t see him go but he would have gone out the front as I was at the bottom of the garden.”

Following his disappearance, Ms Kerr launched a search that has amassed a great amount of local interest and involved putting up missing posters, going door-to-door and flying camera drones around the two-mile Banham area.

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“Twenty people turned up to search on Monday and we had the local gamekeeper on board who used an infrared camera to help look,” Ms Kerr said.

While the infrared camera turned up no sign of Digby, Ms Kerr hopes a thermal imaging camera which will be mounted on a truck will improve their chances of finding her missing pet.

“Morning and night, the whole village is looking,” Ms Kerr said.

“I’ve had a call from an elderly lady in Wymondham who said she would get on a bus and come to help us look – it’s been heartwarming.”

Digby is a black and white springer spaniel and was last seen in Banham (Image: Vicki Kerr)

But the absence of sightings has led Ms Kerr to believe Digby may have been stolen from the area and has enlisted the help of a former police officer from Kent that specializes in cases of stolen dogs.

She added: “He’s very visible so I think he would have been found by now or returning home.”

“I’m heartbroken, honestly, I just want him found.”