Man arrested on suspicion of puppy theft after up to 40 dogs are found in van

A man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing puppies after between 30 and 40 young dogs were found when a van was pulled over on a motorway.
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The 24-year-old from Durham was taken into custody by West Mercia Police after its officers stopped the vehicle on the M6 at the weekend.

The animals were found inside the van and have since been handed over to the RSPCA to be checked over and remain in the charity’s care.

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It followed a report to Gloucestershire Constabulary, which received a call about suspicious activity on Saturday, August 22, in the area of Charlton Kings, a village close to Cheltenham – 245 miles away from Durham.

Officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary and West Mercia Police worked together to arrest the man on suspicion of theft.Officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary and West Mercia Police worked together to arrest the man on suspicion of theft.
Officers from Gloucestershire Constabulary and West Mercia Police worked together to arrest the man on suspicion of theft.
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A Gloucestershire Constabulary said: “Police were called to Beeches Road in Charlton Kings on Saturday following reports that a man was seen to have been loading a number of puppies into a van.

“Officers conducted inquiries into the vehicle before liaising with colleagues at West Mercia Police who located and stopped the van on the M6 before detaining the man.

“A 24-year-old man from Durham was arrested on suspicion of the theft of puppies and was transported to custody in Gloucestershire.

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“Between 30 and 40 puppies were recovered from the van and have been taken to an RSPCA vet surgery for assessment.”

The man has since been released under investigation pending further inquiries.

The force added an appeal for anyone with information which could help with inquiries to call 101 quoting incident 237 of 22 August.

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