BIRTHDAY girl Cait Kearney's celebrations were hit today by the loss of a treasured toy.

Cait, who is six today, lost a cuddly rabbit her grandmother bought her when she was small.

Mum, Michelle Kearney, hopes someone will have found the brown bunny and will return it to her distressed daughter.

The six-inch tall light brown rabbit fell out of Cait's pocket as she walked from Lower Bridgeman Street yesterday with her mum to Trinity Street, to meet dad, Stephen.

Mrs Kearney, 26, said: "I am just hoping that we can get the rabbit back, especially because it is her birthday today.'

Mr Kearney, 34, and his wife re-traced their steps yesterday but could not see "Browny" anywhere.

The couple, who have two other children, Fiona, four and 19-month-old Sean, were preparing for Cait's birthday party at home in Smithills today.

Anyone with information about Browny can ring the family on Bolton 492023.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.