Around 250 people turned out on Saturday for a dog walk to raise the profile of a theft problem which owners say is affecting Bradford and the rest of the country.

The event was organised by Andy Smith, whose Husky dog Murphy was reported stolen in Bradford before being recovered in Manchester three months later.

He is expecting an update from police soon on how the investigation has progressed, having been told previously by officers that those in possession of Murphy were “vague” about how he was acquired.

The walkers set out from City Park for a mile-long walk, with the objective of raising awareness about thefts and the need to have dogs ‘chipped’ so they can be identified.

Vets were present and fitted about 20 dogs with microchips, which go under the skin and contain the owner’s details. Another was found to have a chip no longer working, so that was refitted.

The campaign to find Murphy was organised using social media and Mr Smith said he was keen that dog owners were aware of the scale of the problem.

“It is not just in Bradford, it is the whole of the country that’s affected by it,” he said.