Police in Aberdeen assure public no reports of stolen animals have been received

Police Scotland have assured the public in Aberdeen that they are aware of a number of reports on social media of individuals in the city looking for dogs to steal.

They have said any report will be assessed and the person who made the report updated on the outcome.

A number of vehicles described as being linked to such activity have also been stopped by officers in recent days with no evidence of criminality established, however we do remain vigilant.

In particular, they were made aware of a video circulating online of a van that was stopped yesterday evening in the Hayton Road area of the city – officers attended and it was established that the occupant was a delivery driver. No further action was necessary.

To date they have received no reports of stolen animals.

Inspector George Nixon said: “I would encourage anyone with concerns or information to please contact Police directly. Many incidents being spoken about online have not been reported officially to Police, and I must stress that we cannot rely on social media alone to learn about issues concerning our local communities.

“As with any incident, it is crucial that you make contact with the Police so that suitable enquiries can be carried out. You can call 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.”