PET owners are being urged stay vigilant after a mysterious note was attached to a tree trunk warning of dog snatchers in a seaside town.

Callous crooks looking to pinch pooches are operating in Great Clacton and the surrounding areas, it has been claimed.

The serious suggestion appeared as an anonymous message which was written on a piece of white paper before being tied to a tree.

It comes after Essex Police last year confirmed the number of dog thefts in the county had actually decreased compared to the year previous.

The note read: “Dog snatchers are operating in the Great Clacton area, avoid quiet areas, try to walk in pairs and keep an eye on your dog at all times.

“They are in vans and on foot - stay alert.”

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The warning has since been widely circulated on social media, with many dog owners now on high alert.

Tami Page-Langley, who has four dogs, including one for emotional support, says the thought of dog thieves lurking around the area is terrifying.

She said: “It is scary, because most people who have animals treat them as a member of the family and they are, so you should feel safe walking your dog.

“But to know that people could be watching and waiting for your attention to waive on your dog before they then try to snatch it is horrible.

“They are lowlifes and the law needs to be changed so if dog snatchers are caught they are charged with kidnapping - the jail sentence needs to be stronger.

“I have mental health issues and I wouldn't have got through these last couple of years without my dogs.”

Beth Lyons, from Jaywick, says she is also now concerned for the safety of her pets.

She said: “I have seen unusual vans about, like a white transit, but I cannot say for anywhere else.

“I take my pup out really early in a morning on the beach, but I have seen it about in Brooklands and it is not a regular one from around here.

“I have told everybody I know with a dog on the school run because I am worried.”