The number of dogs being reported stolen in East Staffordshire is at its highest level for five years, police figures have revealed.

There were 21 dogs from the area reported stolen to Staffordshire Police in 2016-17, compared with fewer than 10 a year from 2011-12 onwards.

Of the dogs reported missing over the past six years, 16 were French bulldogs, four were Staffordshire bull terriers, while there were two each of border collies and whippets.

Ten of the French bulldogs were stolen from their Horninglow breeder’s home by a five-strong gang, members of which have since been jailed. The thefts happened over a two-day period in November last year.

The five defendants, who are from the London and Essex areas, had all admitted being involved in stealing the animals.

Two of the men, Elroy Charles, 25, and Jordan Morrison, 24, had also pleaded guilty to being involved in a conspiracy to blackmail the victim.

Charles and Morrison were both jailed for two years. Two other defendants, Kayne Gardner, 28, and Michael Ward, 25, both from London, were each jailed for 12 months for theft.

A fifth man, Desmond Stacey, of Chelmsford, Essex, was given a 12-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to complete 125 hours of unpaid work.

The French bulldogs were are not the first in the area to go missing, having been suspected of being stolen.

One of the area's most well-known cases is that of Fennel, a pregnant springer spaniel stolen from an unlocked car parked in Swadlincote. It has been three years since the theft and she is still missing.

The biggest story to make the headlines was that of border terrier Ginny, from Shobnall, who owners tirelessly searched for and made appeals to get her home. Almost a year after she was stolen from outside her house, she was found in Doncaster and returned to her very relieved owners.

In 2015, English bulldog Morris was stolen from his home in Albert Village before being found in Norfolk a week later.

Meanwhile, pug Winston, from Stapenhill, was found in Coventry nine months after he disappeared.

'Five dog thefts a day'

In Derbyshire, eight dogs were reported missing in 2016-17, down from 34 in 2015-16, while, in Leicestershire, there were 20 dogs reported stolen, down from 21 in 2015-16.

According to police forces across England and Wales, at least 1,914 dogs were reported stolen in 2016-17, the equivalent of five a day.

Based on figures from forces that were able to provide them for each year since 2011-12, the number of thefts is up by a fifth in six years, according to information supplied in response to a Freedom of Information Request.

Of the 8,714 dogs reported missing over the past six years, 1,665 had no breed recorded, while 1,414 were Staffordshire bull terriers, 392 were Jack Russells, 356 were chihuahuas, 209 were labradors and 205 were pugs.

French bulldogs were stolen from a home in Burton (File photo)

Some types of dogs may be becoming more common targets for thieves, with French bulldogs making up 4.6% of all dogs stolen in 2016-17, with 89 stolen, nearly one in 20, compared with just 0.5% of thefts in 2011-12, or six reported missing.

Shih tzus made up 1.7% of dogs stolen in 2016-17, 32 thefts, compared to 1.1% in 2011-12, or 14 thefts, and some of the more modern breeds have become common targets, such as malinois, with 12 stolen in 2016-17, sprockers (cocker spaniel and springer spaniel cross), saw 11 stolen, and Jack chis (chihuahua and Jack Russell crosses), saw 10 stolen.

Speaking on Dog Theft Awareness Day in March, Nik Oakley, for DogLost and the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (SAMPA) said the crime of stealing dogs went largely unpunished as few cases reach court and, because dogs were regarded as goods, any sentence reflected the value of the dog not the impact on the victim who had "lost a member of their family".

He also felt police statistics, which varied across the country, were the tip of the iceberg as they showed how a force records dog theft rather than the size of the problem.