Government plans for a new offence of pet abduction have been welcomed by Rutland MP Alicia Kearns.

The MP said on social media: "We love our pets. Losing one is like losing a part of the family.

"The new offence of Pet Abduction will be a great boost to pet safety."

Earlier in the year, Mrs Kearns demanded a 'crackdown' of such thefts, following growing concerns from constituents, as previously reported by Nub News.

However, police have said the issue was not as bad as feared, and earlier this year, reported a decline of dog thefts in the region.

However, they did issue guidance to pet owners on how best to help keep them safe, as also reported by Nub News.

The government moves, announced yesterday, will also see further work from it to better record and track pet abduction cases and improvements to microchipping processes to help improve the identification of lost and stolen dogs.

The government says the new law will recognise the welfare of animals and that pets are valued as more than property.

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The changes and details, which are recommended by a Government Pet Theft Taskforce, can be found here .