Police say they are not linking a spate of recent pet thefts in Oxfordshire.

Four dogs and a cat have gone missing in the last few weeks.

Three greyhound bitches were stolen from breeder, Noirin McElligott, of Ock Mill Close, Abingdon, at the end of May.

Two were found after thieves dumped them by a main road near Cirencester, but one, eight-year-old Clinton, who is white and fawn, is still missing.

Also at the end of May, the Oxford Mail revealed Amy Francis, 21, of Marshall Road, Cowley paid a £1,000 ransom to get her Chihuahua, Charlie, back from thieves.

A man from Abingdon, who asked not to be named, contacted the Oxford Mail to say his pedigree Russian Blue cat, worth £400, was missing, presumed stolen.

He said: "I put her out in the morning two weeks ago, and haven't seen her since.

"I am convinced someone has taken her because she is a pedigree. I have been in touch with every vet in Oxfordshire, and none of them have seen her."

A police spokesman said: "We are not linking any incidents of pet theft at this time. Should any new information come to light, we will carry out a thorough investigation.

"There are a number of precautions owners can take to ensure their pet is traceable should it go missing, including micro-chipping, tattooing and registering with a pet database."