RESIDENTS are being urged to contact police and RSPCA if they see any activity in relation to dog thefts.

This comes after a stir online regarding incidents of alleged suspicious behaviour of people marking houses where dogs live with chalk as well as people supposedly falsely posing as RSPCA officers.

One Dalton resident who witnessed suspicious behaviour from two men on Devonshire Street, she said: "When I went out the man had run off but there was a big cross on her door.

"One man was scruffy and wasn’t young and had some curly hair and a bald patch. He was the person I saw at the back door when I went out."

Due to the higher demand of puppies in the UK since the coronavirus pandemic started, police have warned dog owners to take reasonable security to keep pets safe.

The charity DogLost has seen reports of thefts rise by 170 per cent in the last year from 172 dogs in 2019 to 465 in 2020.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Acquisitive Crime, Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said: “Dog theft can be a devastating crime for families and causes considerable distress to owners. Whilst it is still a very rare crime, it’s sadly something we have seen increasing recently."

Cumbria Police said they have issued appeals in the past few weeks of attempted dog thefts, but none were taken, and none have been reported in Barrow.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Constabulary said: "We would encourage anyone with any concerns or if they believe their dog has been taken to contact police."

The RSPCA have not had any reports of a fake inspector in Cumbria but urged those with concerns to report what they see.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We have heard anecdotally that there has been a rise in the number of pet thefts during the past year due to the value of many breeds and the demand for pets during lockdown.

“We’re also concerned about some reports in pockets of the country that a handful of people may have been posing as RSPCA inspectors in order to try to take dogs. In the sightings of vans we have looked into so far - they appear to be genuine RSPCA inspectors going about their normal duties and sometimes vans are not branded with our logo for security reasons.

“We would like to remind and reassure the public that all of our officers wear branded uniforms and carry issued RSPCA identification.

“If an RSPCA officer is in contact with you, or visits your home and you are unsure of their credentials, then please ask to see their official ID and look for the RSPCA badge on their clothing.

“If you have taken these steps and are concerned someone isn't who they say they are, you can always ring our national call centre on 0300 1234 999 for confirmation.

“If you believe someone is impersonating a member of our staff please report the incident to us and to your local police."