A TILFORD man is offering a "no questions asked" £2,000 reward for information leading to the return of a lurcher that was stolen from his garden. Roger Howe, who is licensee of Stringfellows club in London, believes that Sally, a family pet, was almost certainly taken by gypsies from outside the area for use in illegal coursing. She went missing when her kennel was broken into at the end of October and Mr Howe said his 11- year-old daughter is devastated. He has put up around 40 posters locally offering the substantial reward, and also advertised in Countryman's Weekly, which he described as "the gypsies' Bible", but so far there has been no response. The two-year-old dark brown and tan greyhound/ saluki cross is described as very timid, with a distinctive black tail with a white tip and a white mask on her face with a pink patch just above the nose. "I have major suspicions who stole her, because gypsies had been round on three occasions and offered me money for her," said Mr Howe. On one occasion in September, he said, he returned from dog walking and found the group, who said they were from the south coast, in his garden. They were told the bitch was a family pet and definetly not for sale. He told The Herald that illegal coursing meets are big business, with bets of £5,000 to £10,000 often wagered on top performing dogs. "If you were a gypsy or anyone else who is interested in running dogs, Sally would be very desirable. She's an absolutely top racing-type lurcher." Mr Howe was involved in coursing himself until hunting with dogs became illegal in 2005. He said he has been breeding the same line of lurchers since 1971 and owns both Sally's mother and her brother, Merlin. It was while he was away shooting in Scotland that Sally went missing on what seems to have been the dog-nappers' second attempt. Earlier in the week his gardener, who was looking after the dogs, phoned him to say they had been let out of the kennel and were found running loose in the garden. Sally's lead was missing from the front of the kennel but it seems that the nervous dog had evaded capture. Merlin, who had had surgery for an injured femur, had done more damage to his leg and had to return to the vet for further treatment. And when the thieves returned, broke into the kennel and actually took Sally, the injured dog was again left running in the garden. "He spent the next two weeks howling." Mr Howe said he has been warned by the police that if gypsies involved in coursing are involved, he is unlikely to see Sally again. "She could have changed hands two or three times. And if these dogs fall into the wrong hands, the minute they can no longer race they get them shot or leave them to run off, unless they want to breed from them. "I don't want Sally to live in misery for the rest of her life," he added, appealing for anyone with information to get in touch and for other owners to guard their dogs. Anyone with information about Sally can contact him on 07785 376326 or 07900 922144.