Animal lovers in Bristol are hoping a real life Ace Ventura pet detective can help them with a suspected case of cat-napping.

Marnie Lord and Jennifer Davis, of Withywood, have both lost their cats in the last month, so they contacted Animal Search UK, an organisation dedicated to tracking down missing pets.

As their cats called Frank and Brody live in the same area and disappeared within days of each other, the pet detectives have their suspicions about the disappearances.

But unlike the movie pet detective, played by Hollywood funnyman Jim Carrey, Herefordshire-based Animal Search UK takes a more practical approach to finding lost pets.

Set up 10 years ago by former police officer Tom Watkins, the company relies on volunteers to do much of the leg work, putting up posters, handing out leaflets and carrying out local inquiries.

Last week volunteer Richard Jones was helping out with the Withywood search.

Volunteers all wear uniforms and carry ID cards, and there is a free phone number for people to provide information.

The company charges to cover the cost of leaflets and posters but if owners have insurance for their pets this will often cover such expenses.

Ms Lord, a 28-year-old who works for Axa insurance company, is Brody's owner.

Last seen on Wednesday, March 4, he is a black and white male with a black and silver collar with a bell. He has been microchipped and is her only pet.

Explaining how she found Animal Search UK, she said: "I went on the internet, typed in missing pets and their website came up. They phoned me up and explained their service, my pet insurance company pays for it. It cost around £500. They put up leaflets, came to down to Bristol and were really helpful.

"I've not heard anything since he went missing, it's really unusual, he never goes off far.

"I've heard other cats have gone missing from the area so something dodgy is going on."

Ms Davis's cat Frank was last seen on Sunday, March 1. A male tabby, he has a missing front tooth, which makes his lip turn up in a distinctive manner. He has a flea allergy so the fur on the back of his legs might be shorter than everywhere else.

Animal Search UK's Mr Watkins said: "Both owners are concerned and other pets may have gone missing in the area.

"If you have lost a pet, we are the only organisation with a team to do searches.

"We have 3,000 pets on our website that are missing, have been found or reunited.

"People will often talk to people in uniform off the record, we would talk to estate agents as cats may have gone into vacant properties that have cat flaps and may not have been able to get out.

"Cab drivers are also good. We think out of the box if we can."

Anyone who has spotted Frank or Brody can call 0800 4 320 340.