FAMILIES have fallen victim to further puppy scams, losing up to £500 in the process.

Inspector Darren Taylor of the Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Policing Unit said more families have travelled to the area over the weekend to collect puppies they had bought over the internet.

However, on arriving at the address given, they found they had been scammed.

Writing on Twitter, Inspector Taylor said: "Further reports coming in over the weekend of families travelling to Mid Sussex to collect puppies, only to discover when arriving at the said address, that the homeowner has no knowledge of any puppies for sale.

"Most of the victims had paid up to £500 in advance to the scammers."

It comes after a family from Shropshire travelled almost 200 miles to collect a golden retriever puppy in East Grinstead last month.

Inspector Taylor said the children were left "devastated" when the homeowner at the address given told them there was no puppy, and it became clear they had been conned.

This particular family had paid a £500 deposit.

Inspector Taylor said: "This is becoming a really common occurrence and people are travelling from quite far away - Shropshire, Derbyshire.

"I can't emphasise enough that you want to see a puppy physically before you part with any money, and to check on the conditions too.

"The heartache it must cause these families.

"We all love our animals but that's why the scammers have cottoned on, and people are falling for it."