GWENT Police says reports of dogs being stolen by so-called 'white van men' in the area are “rumours”.

The force have received a number of concerned calls, emails and social media updates about apparent theft of dogs. They refer to unknown men in a white transit van or similar.

In a statement, Gwent Police said: “We would like to reassure members of the public that we have had no crimes reported of this nature.

“No valid intelligence in relation to a van or any other vehicle taking dogs has been received, furthermore, contrary to rumours, there has been no intelligence to suggest offenders are marking up people’s property to signal whether a dog is desirable or not or whether the property is a potential burglary target.

“We are yet to receive a report from anyone who can confirm an offence of this nature has taken place.”

It is believed the rumour relating to the ‘theft of dogs by men in a white van’ was started in Australia around four years ago and has since spread across the world partly through the rise of social media.

If you have any concerns regarding the above, contact your local Neighbourhood Policing Team or ring 101.