Masked men steal £3,000 puppy in terrifying Warsop raid

The gang – reported to have been in possession of metal bats – smashed windows and threatened the occupants before making off with the pet called Solo.

A person inside the house on Vickers Street was assaulted during the terrifying raid – although they were not seriously injured.

The men are believed to have fled the area in a silver Jeep Cherokee and detectives are now working hard to establish the whereabouts of the gang and the young dog.

They are appealing for anyone with information or who may have seen or heard something suspicious to contact officers as soon as possible.

Det Sgt Jackie Price, who is leading the investigation into the early-morning raid, said: “This is a serious incident that will have undoubtedly been terrifying for the people in the house.

“The group’s brutish behaviour will have caused a lot of noise in the local area and we are asking for anyone who may have heard or seen something suspicious at the time to come forward.

“Any information you have, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, could go a long way to helping us solve who did this and finding the stolen puppy.”

Anyone who saw the incident or has any information that could help detectives in their investigation should contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 927 of 10 May 2021.

Alternatively, anybody wishing to give information anonymously can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The incident comes as the force recently appointed a specialist lead in dog theft to take a strategic overview of incidents in Nottinghamshire, analysing trends, coordinating resources and working alongside partners to prevent and detect this type of crime.

Chief Insp Amy Styles-Jones performs the role alongside a number of other duties and responsibilities, working with officers, partners and other forces to establish best practices in investigating dog thefts and work out how processes can be improved.

She said: "I understand how concerning dog theft is for people.

"As a dog owner myself, I know it is an extremely emotive issue and that you want to feel safe walking your dog or whilst at home or in your garden with your pets.

"I understand that for many people your dogs are part of your family and Nottinghamshire Police understands that as well, which is why we are the first force in the country to appoint a lead for this specific type of crime.

"I want to reassure people that if you want to report any concerns about your dogs being stolen, that we will take that seriously.

"I also want to make it clear to anybody involved in dog theft or the mistreatment of animals that it will absolutely not be tolerated."

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