Thieves steal puppies from flat

Each Staffordshire bull terrier puppy is worth £200

Four puppies have been stolen from an Edinburgh flat after thieves smashed down the front door while their owner was out.

The Staffordshire bull terrier pups were taken from a second-floor flat in Albert Street on Friday between 1130 BST and 1345 BST.

Police believe the thieves discovered the puppies were in the flat after they were put up for sale in a newspaper.

The eight-week-old dogs cost £200 each and two of them have brindle markings.

Det Con Ian Johnstone, of Lothian and Borders Police, urged anyone who had been offered a Staffordshire bull terrier pup for sale to contact the police.

He told the BBC Scotland news website: "Only the pups were stolen during the house break-in, which would suggest that the thieves had specifically targeted them.

"The 37-year-old owner was very upset when she returned to find they had been stolen from her flat.

"They are living things which have been stolen. They are not inanimate objects so we are very concerned for their welfare and we are treating this very seriously. It is a very unusual theft."