Dog owners in West Lothian are on high alert after the attempted theft of a golden retriever.
Police are investigating the alarming incident, which happened on Longcroft Gardens, Linlithgow, at around 10pm on Friday.
They say a 62-year-old man was walking his dog towards Falkirk Road when he became aware of three men behind him. As they passed him two continued walking but one turned and attempted to grab the dog lead.
However the dog owner managed to get away with his dog, and left in the opposite direction – away from Falkirk Road.
Officers say their enquiries are ongoing and they want anyone who can help identify the three men responsible to come forward.
In particular, they want to speak to anyone who may be able to identify a man described as being white, in his mid-20s, around 5ft 10in tall and of slim build. He had short dark hair and was wearing a grey long sleeved top, blue jeans and spoke with a local accent.
Detective Constable Lynn Myles of West Lothian CID said: "Fortunately the man was not injured but he was left shaken by this unsettling incident.
"I would urge anyone who may have seen or heard a disturbance in the Longcroft Gardens areas on Friday around this time to let us know.
"I would be particularly keen to speak to anyone who may have private CCTV to review their footage and pass on anything of note to us.
"Anyone with information can contact police on 101, quoting incident 4243 of 15 May, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
