No attempt made to steal dog in Selkirk cemetery, say police

Police in the Borders are claiming that an reported attempted dognapping incident in Selkirk was not what it seemed.
Shawfield CemeteryShawfield Cemetery
Shawfield Cemetery

The claim follows a report in another local paper, in which an unnamed pensioner walking a Jack Russell in Shawfield Cemetery said that he felt he had to flee from two men who got out of a Transit van.

However, a police spokesperson told us: “There was an incident reported whereby two men were seen in a Transit van and got out because they were on their phones.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They then got back in and left the area. The caller only reported it because they thought this might have something to do with recent reports of attempted dog snatching.

“However, no such incident took place and no crime was committed.”

On a similar vein, there have been several posts on social media about cable ties on lamposts, alleging that they could have been left as markers for gangs looking to snatch dogs.

Both the police and the council say they have received no reports linking the proliferation of ties with criminalilty.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On a quick tour of the town this week, we found there were ties on most lamposts, possibly left over from flyers.

However, at Selkirk Community Council’s meeting on Monday evening, vice-chairman Graham Easton urged pet-loving Souters to remain vigilant.

He said: “Obviously, if anyone spots anything suspicious, they should let the police know.

“Snatching dogs does seem to be a very lucrative business, and it’s going on all the time all over the country.”