Police have responded to claims that dogs have been stolen from a park in Chelmsford.

A post on social media warning dog owners about the alleged thieves in Hylands Park went viral over the weekend (May 11 and May 12).

The warning, seen by Essex Live, read: "Do NOT walk your dogs off a lead at Hylands Park (Chelmsford) sick people are hiding in bushes and jumping out and stealing dogs!"

The park is one of the biggest in Essex, spanning over 100 acres, and is a very popular destination for dog walkers.

Dog walkers had claimed dog wardens had been at the park warning pet owners about the allegations.

But Chelmsford City Council confirmed that there have been no recorded reports of dogs being stolen but many had called asking for information.

A spokesperson added: "We have received no recent reports of dogs being stolen from Hylands Park in the manner described and no warnings regarding dog theft have been given out by our officers.

"Our Public Protection team have received a number of calls asking whether the council's dog wardens were issuing warnings at Hylands on Sunday morning and we can confirm that they were not."

Essex Police are also keen to ease any concerns dog walkers may have, and said that they have had no calls or reports of thefts at the park over the weekend.

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