Eight puppies and two dogs worth thousands of pounds have been stolen from kennels in Kent.

Police are appealing for information after the animals - all cocker spaniels - were taken some time between 5pm Monday and 7am Tuesday from the kennels in School Lane, Iwade, near Sittingbourne.

The litter - which a police spokesman said was worth around £6,000 - consists of two gold-coloured puppies, two black puppies, one blue roan-coloured puppy, three chocolate-coloured puppies, one three-year-old chocolate-coloured bitch, and one two-year-old blue roan-coloured bitch.

All the puppies are six-weeks-old.

Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Ben Redpath on 07870 252237 or Kent Crimestoppers free and anonymously on 0800 555111.