A HI-TECH drone has been deployed to help locate Lichfield woman’s missing dog.

Buster, an 11-year-old Labrador, disappeared on June 14 from the Appleby Magna area – and owner Sam Causer, from Armitage, has launched a huge campaign to help track down her loveable four-legged friend.

Pamela Moretta, Sam’s friend and member of the ‘Please Find Our Buster Boy’ Facebook group, said: “Buster ran away from the Appleby Magna area on June 14, towards the A444. Search dogs went and did a trail towards the Appleby Inn, but because there are no footpaths from there they had to stop the search.

“Since then, we’ve been poster campaigning in local areas. We had possible sightings reported in Warton and Shutton areas, but they have gone a bit cold.”

The group, which now consists of over 3,300 members, took to GoFundMe, a fund-raising website, to help raise funds to allow Ace Aerial Camera Epics to deploy a drone to help locate Buster – using thermal imaging equipment and live footage. The West Sussex-based company travelled up on September 12 to conduct a fly over the area where Buster went missing, but unfortunately there were no sightings.

Ace Sumner, who flew the drone, said: “We covered quite a lot of sky on the day, as much as we could. We captured some great footage and anything that would have been in the area would have been picked up on the camera.”

Buster, who is microchipped and neutered, has a slight cauliflower left ear and a fatty lump near his right ribs.

“However the weather turned and Bridget was getting very tired. I can’t thank Bridget and her owner Gsannie enough, but our search will go on.

“We’re determined not to stop until we’ve found him. Somebody must know something.”

The appeal to find Buster has since been shared on social media from the likes of Ricky Gervais and a former member of the Spice Girls.