Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough, has welcomed the news that the Government is establishing a Taskforce to investigate the rise in pet theft across the country.
The Taskforce will gather evidence and also recommend any necessary measures to tackle the problem. It will be Chaired by the Lord Chancellor and include Officials from DEFRA, the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, as well as the Police.
Neil said, “I know this has been of concern to constituents in Harborough; it is something I have raised with Ministers on the back of the concerns shared with me, so I very much welcome the establishment of the Taskforce.
We need to ensure the sentences reflect their abhorrent nature of the crime, of stealing someone’s cherished pet. We are a nation of animal lovers and this can cause great distress to individuals and families, so this is a welcome step forward towards tackling the problem. I will be paying very close attention to this and continuing to highlight the concerns of constituents on this, both nationally through the Taskforce and locally with our new Police and Crime Commissioner, Rupert Matthews, who is also aware and concerned by this rising trend.”