DOG thefts in Ealing were below the London average for 2020 despite seeing a slight increase compared to the year before.

A Freedom of Information request made by money.co.uk revealed that Ealing is tied in 19th place among the 32 London boroughs for the most dog thefts reported in 2020, with eight, while on average London had 9.9.

That number increased compared to the year before when it was seven but dropped compared to both 2018 and 2017 when it was 13.

In total, during the last five years since 2016, Ealing has experienced 47 dog thefts, ranking it in 16th place among all London boroughs.

The borough with the most cases of dog thefts in 2020 was Bromley with 21, while Westminster and Sutton had the least with four.

Over the last five years Croydon has seen the most canine thefts with 71, while its neighbour, Sutton, is the most dog-safe with only 16.

London saw a total of 317 dog thefts last year alone, with that number rising to 1,409 for the five years since 2016.