FEARS dog nappers may be operating in the area have been dismissed by Humberside Police – who say it's nothing more than an urban myth.
As reported on www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk, a number of Facebook groups were set up by worried dog owners following reports of men trawling the area looking to steal pets for dog fights.
Posts circulating on the social networking site suggested men were cold-calling at properties across the borough, claiming to be selling items door-to-door.
However, instead of offering items for sale, the men were said to make small talk before leaving, causing some to believe they were checking to see if the family kept a dog.
It said the men then marked the walls of the house, so they could return later to take the dog.
However, a police spokesman said officers had checked a number of reported wall "markings", but had found they were nothing more than "wear and tear".
He said: "To date, we have had a number of calls from concerned residents in relation to marks on their walls. However we have had no reported incidents of dogs being stolen and the marks we have seen have been through wear and tear, not left on purpose.
"I would ask for residents to be careful when reading such information on social media sites as myths and rumours can quickly get out of hand and cause all manner of problems through the concern that can be caused which often leads to calls relating to suspicious activity which is anything but."
Report any suspicious behaviour to police on 101.
Do you have information about the problem? Has your dog been taken after callers coming to the house unexpectedly?
If so, please contact our news team on 01472 372236.
