CALLS have been made to make dog theft a specific criminal offence to combat the worrying rise during the pandemic.

Liberal Democrat candidate for Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Loraine Birchall is calling on the Government to make dog theft a specific criminal offence in light of the soar in reported incidents over lockdown.

DogLost, a charity that helps reunite owners with their lost dogs, saw reported pet thefts soar from 172 dogs in 2019 to 465 in 2020.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said in February that she was 'looking at what we can do' to tackle the 'absolutely shocking' crime.

However, a Freedom of Information request from local MP Tim Farron revealed that the Home Office had no information on any meetings on the issue involving Ms Patel since October 2020.

Mr Farron said: “It’s very concerning that the Home Secretary might not be treating this growing problem with the seriousness that it deserves."