A petition to crack down on dog theft in the UK has been taken to No. 10, backed by the MP for Dartford.

Campaigners from the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (SAMPA) took the campaign to Downing Street today, with support from Gareth Johnson.

The petition campaigns for pet theft to be classed as a crime in its own right.

It was debated in Parliament in July after reaching 107,000 signatures.

Mr Johnson has campaigned for tougher sentences for crimes like this in the past and accompanied campaigners today as they presented the petition.

He said: “This petition really highlights the strength of feeling on this issue and the widespread disgust people feel about this crime.

“Dog theft is a nasty crime which causes misery and pain to both the animals and their owners. Around 60 dogs are stolen in England and Wales every week, and many are never recovered and returned to their owners.”

The MP added he was pleased so many people had given their support to the campaign.

He said: "Like most dog owners, I see my dog as a member of my family and the sentencing of people who steal dogs should reflect this.

"The criminal justice system should not treat dog theft in the same way as the theft of property.”

When the petition was first launched, the Department for Enviroment, Food and rural affairs acknowledged the distress that can be caused by stealing a pet and insisted it is already a crime under The Theft Act.

In February 2016, sentences were updated to take in the level of distress caused by a theft.