Rumours that five dogs have died after visiting a park near Gravesend have sparked concern among pet owners.

But the ranger of Jeskyns Community Woodland, in Cobham, says she knows nothing about any deaths.

A message posted on Facebook urged dog owners to avoid the area and share the message.

It said: "Please avoid Jeskyns Park nr Gravesend - 5 dogs have died recently - it's possible that someone is putting something toxic down disguised in food - other dogs have been poorly so it's not worth the risk right now."

The Forestry Commission, which owns the land, received more than 80 panicked phone calls.

Jeskyns ranger Denise Bird said she knew nothing about animals dying, but had heard reports of some dogs becoming unwell.

She said: "We are not aware of any dogs dying. We were notified of three dogs being unwell after visiting a few parks, which included Jeskyns.

"It's possible that someone is putting something toxic down disguised in food - other dogs have been poorly so it's not worth the risk right now..." - message on Facebook

"Although the dogs have now fully recovered, the vet has not been able to diagnose the illness or suggest any links to Jeskyns."

A message on Jeskyns' website said there had been no reports of contaminated or poisoned food being found on site.

It said: "Hundreds of dogs are walked at Jeskyns every day and it is inevitable that some will occasionally fall ill.

"It is also to be expected that this will sometimes coincide with their visit. With this in mind, we wish to reiterate, that to date, there is no evidence to suggest that there is anything at Jeskyns that presents a specific threat to the health of dogs.

"We would also like to reassure our visitors that we do of course take this matter very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

"We are grateful for any reports of dogs being unwell after their exercise has included Jeskyns and would advise that owners should always be aware of what their dog is doing, wherever it is being walked, and to contact their vet if they are worried about their dog’s health with as much information as possible."