An animal rescuer is appealing for the return of five guinea pigs, who are elderly and vulnerable, after they were stolen from their barn.

The theft took place in New Ash Green at around 10pm yesterday, and two men were captured on CCTV running off with them in a crate.

Lisa Inns, who rescues guinea pigs, said: "They didn't have a box with them – they had gloves, and had masks on.

"They came up the track and ripped the solar security light off and used it as a torch. When they were looking around the security lights went off and they dived back behind a shed."

The 56-year-old said security footage showed the two men sauntering around the property before fleeing with the animals. Although they have a lot of footage of them, none of it is clear.

She said: "They went into the guinea pig barn and grabbed one of the boxes that was in there and started loading them in, and then the next minute the alarm went off and we saw them run off with the box in their hand."

The men left by jumping a fence. Lisa says police attended last night.

She said: "I don't want to name and shame the men, I just want the guinea pigs back.

"They're all elderly, and they've come to me to retire – they've all got something wrong with them."

One of the guinea pigs is blind in one eye, and they're all between the ages of five to eight. The lifespan for a guinea pig is four to eight years.

The men left one of them, but Lisa thinks that was only because the alarm went off so they didn't have enough time to get her.

She said: "I’ve got another two boys in there in a separate bit so obviously they didn't have time to get them.

"Thank god because they haven't been neutered yet.

"I've been round all the houses to see if anyone has got any CCTV, I'm just hoping they're going to be dumped somewhere and that they're not dead already."