A woman has issued a warning to pet owners in West Dunbartonshire after an alleged dognapping incident.

Posting on social media on April 28, user Abbie Reilly said: "A man with a white van has just tried to steal my wee dog from my back garden.

"He had an accent and said he was looking for house number 95, which is the opposite end of the street.

"Please, please be careful and don’t leave your dogs in the garden themselves.

"Thank goodness my mum had just come out of the door in literally the nick of time and confronted him and he hurried off in a panic.

"Police have been informed, they said they’ve had several calls regarding the same description of this man pretending to be a delivery driver."

It comes after police chiefs warned that organised criminals have turned to dog theft as a rise in demand for puppies during lockdown meant increased profits from the illicit trade.

In nearby Balloch, a woman's petition calling for tougher penalties for people convicted of dog theft has attracted 138,000 signatures.