Dogs stolen from Lancashire Police 'were strays'

12:10pm Tuesday 19th August 2008

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LANCASHIRE police said dogs reported as stolen under the Freedom of Information Act were not force sniffer dogs.

The constabulary reported that two dogs had been stolen from one of its police stations after a request under the act sent to all UK police forces by a national newspaper But a spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “These dogs were not police animals. They were taken into a station some time ago, while police were still responsible for taking in stray dogs found by wardens.

“Owners have to sign forms and pay a release fee for their dogs to be returned, but somehow these dogs ended up being given back without that, which meant they had to be recorded as stolen.

“Police are no longer responsible for looking after stray dogs. That service is now carried out by the council.”

Thefts reported to the newspaper from police across the country included a shrubbery stolen from a station in Dartford, a police codes of practice handbook from Warwickshire, and a blood sample taken from a Norfolk police car.