THREE men have been arrested by police in connection with recent dog thefts in rural Hampshire.

Three working dogs were stolen from external kennels during burglaries in Bullington east of Andover and Owslebury on Sunday, 30 December and Monday, 31 December.

The arrests came following a report of a suspicious vehicle entering a farm yard in the South Warnborough area in the early hours of Thursday, 10 January.

Officers stopped a green Subaru Forester on the A339 travelling towards Alton at 4.50am.

A 20-year-old man from Chobham in Surrey, a 24-year-old man from West Moseley in Surrey and a 21-year-old man from Yateley were arrested on suspicion of going equipped to commit theft and the theft of dogs in December.

They have been bailed pending further enquiries until Thursday, 14 March.

Anyone with any information about the theft of dogs should contact the Winchester Rural North Safer Neighbourhoods team on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.