Thieves stole a dogs' run and kennel from a back yard before returning to steal two dogs from the same place.

The owner of the dogs, pub landlord Christopher Osman, pictured, is offering a substantial reward for their safe return.

The pedigree Springer Spaniel bitches, Jay, 18 months and six-year-old Beth, were kept in a locked kennel in a yard at the Swan pub in Bradford Road, Liversedge.

Thieves stole the kennel and the dogs' run several weeks ago and came back in the early hours of Friday for the dogs.

They took the boards from the back of the replacement kennel and swiped the liver and white dogs, worth £1,000 in total.

Mr Osman said he was 'gutted' the dogs had gone. He said he had taken on Beth following the death of one of his friends.

"Five weeks ago, I had the dogs in a brand new double kennel and galvanised run but thieves stole the run," said Mr Osman, who spent the weekend driving around the area in search of the dogs.

"Three days later, they came back and took the kennel. So I replaced the kennel and run and now they have stolen my dogs.

"I had a friend who passed away and his son asked me to take Beth, who was already fully trained as a working gundog. Jay was bought from a breeder in Scunthorpe and I was training her up for this coming shooting and fishing season. Jay is long-legged and skinny and Beth has a growth on her right side, like a blister."

Mr Osman, 48, used to take his working dogs to Hopton, Mirfield, where he has worked as a part-time gamekeeper.

He said he thought the same people had carried out all three thefts.

"The kennel was an expensive piece of kit, I think somebody has gone past and thought 'I'll have those.'

"We have 24-hour CCTV cameras outside the pub but they didn't pick up anything because whoever took them must have come down the side of the pub and round the back of the kennel."

Mr Osman has owned spaniels most of his life and fears his stolen dogs may now have been sold on. He said he would offer an undisclosed sum of several hundred pounds for the safe return of the dogs.

He contacted a company called Dogs Lost UK which offered to put details of the stolen dogs on its website.

Tim Bristow, who set up Dogs Lost UK, said: "We have had reports of quite a lot of dogs being stolen in this area over the last few weeks, but it is also a nationwide trend. Gundogs and sporting dogs are very marketable and can fetch as much as £1,500 in Ireland and Scotland, where they are used to breed."

A police spokesman said the theft was being investigated. For details about the dogs, visit www.doglost.co.uk

Anyone with information should contact the police on (01924) 431059 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111