Dog thefts are on the agenda for Wiltshire Police.

Dog owners are being urged to report any suspicious behaviour, thefts or attempted thefts.

Wiltshire Police launched its new Dog Watch scheme back in April to help improve confidence in pet safety across the county.

Although cases of dogs physically being stolen are very low, police say they are seeing an increase in people discussing suspicious activity and the potential attempted thefts of pets on social media.

However, they are urging people to make sure they report these issues to the police.

Inspector Gill Hughes said: “We very often see comments on social media, where people are warning other dog owners about a particular issue in a local area or an incident which they believe may have been a potential theft.

“All of this information can be vital intelligence which can help us build up a picture of suspicious activity and hopefully take action against would-be criminals.

“I would urge everyone to report these to us – you can either phone us on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress, or fill in a form via our website."