Meet the latest four legged furry recruits helping to keep Wearside safe
New police recruits Gracie, Angus and Teddy have shown they really do have the nose for the job after joining Durham Constabulary’s Dog Support Unit.
The talented trio have this month (July) completed their their final assessment following a rigorous six-week course and are now fully trained explosives detection dogs.
The springer spaniels have learned to detect a number of explosive substances in different environments and will play a crucial role in security operations, helping to identify potential threats.
A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said: “PD Gracie is 17 months old and has been with us for eight months after being recruited from the Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue centre. She's very methodical and just loves to work for her favourite tennis ball.
“Two-year-old PD Angus has been with us since he was eight weeks old and has progressed through our puppy development programme. He's very energetic but works with a lot of maturity.
“PD Teddy - the youngest of the trio at just 14 months old - was donated to us by a member of the public. Teddy is very robust and playful but when it's time to work, he puts his professional head on and gets the job done.”
Not only will the trio be covering County Durham but will also offer assistance all around the UK, policing high-profile events to keep the public safe.