Watch police dog's reaction after kennel roof blows off in Storm Ali

Kaizer with his owner PC Ian Squire. Please credit Grant Humphreys.

Police dog Kaizer, a German Shepherd, is filmed with his head poking out of the top of his kennel in County Durham.

Howling winds, which reached more than 50mph, caused the roof of Kaizer's kennel to break away during Storm Ali yesterday.

PC Ian Squire said: “I got home and saw that he wasn’t at his kennel door which is unlike him, then I realised the roof had blown off and he was sticking his head out the top. We managed to fix it up.”

The eight-year-old dog, who carries out general purpose patrol and tactical firearms support, has been serving with Durham Constabulary since October 2012 and will soon retire.

A spokeswoman said: “Every day, police dogs across the country put their lives on the line for us.

"They are heroes in their own right; supporting our communities and helping us catch criminals or sniff out thousands of pounds worth of drugs.

"In his career, Kaizer has helped search for literally hundreds of people.

"But it’s not all about catching the bad guys; saving lives is also our primary aim.

"Kaizer is trained to track fresh human scent. His nose is his most powerful weapon.”

The high-force winds caused damaged to properties and falling trees and branches blocked roads throughout the county.

Sergeant Darren Stephenson and his team have had a busy few days as the extreme weather cause problems across the North East.

A spokeswoman said: “As ever, our call handlers are the unsung heroes of the force.

"They are the first people you will speak to when you pick up the phone to call the police.

"Storm Ali caused a flurry of calls into the control room, with hundreds of reports of fallen trees and road traffic collisions.”

Sgt Darren added: “Our busiest period was between 1.30pm and 4pm yesterday. You have to remember that a tree blocking a road will often generate more than one call from a member of the public and so that’s a lot of calls coming into our control room.

“They do a tremendous job answering calls as fast as they can. It can be challenging and unpredictable, but they are resilient.

“Thanks to the council, many trees have been cleared from the roads overnight but watch out for branches and other debris which may still be on the roads.”