Giddy the fire dog helping probe Crooked House arson attack

Giddy joined the fire service in February and lives and works with Alex Daw

The skills of a new canine recruit to West Midlands Fire Service has helped officers investigate the arson attack at the Crooked House.

Cocker spaniel Giddy can sniff out 10 accelerants and was sent to the fire at the legendary pub, which is now being treated as suspicious.

She and her handler Alex Daw assisted Staffordshire firefighters and police with an external search of the pub.

"I couldn't ask for a better colleague and friend," Mr Daw said.

The clever canine joined the fire service in April and has been sent to 18 incidents since then, Mr Daw said.

Giddy and her handler worked at the recent fire at the Crooked House

She replaced Belgian Malinois Kai, who died in March after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

A search started for a replacement fire accelerant dog and "we found this wonderful little girl", Mr Daw, who lives with her in his family home, said.

"I was introduced to Giddy in February, then we went away for six weeks training so our bond has just grown from there," he said.

"She's 15 months old now and learning to be a pet because she's a working dog."

Mr Daw said she was a 'wonderful little girl'

Giddy can detect accelerants including, petrol paraffin and lighter fuel and wears special boots when on scene at a fire to protect her paws.

"She will come up to me after she's detected it.. she has protective boots that she would wear and she would go around and if she identifies and accelerant she will put her nose as close to or on it and then stand still like a statue, so passively indicate, for about two seconds."

She wore her boots when the pair were sent to the scene of the pub fire last week.

He added: "So we were called up there on Wednesday last week to go and do an exterior or external search of the surrounding woodland and area to see if there was anything we might find, any evidence.

Giddy has been kitted out with special boots to protect her from glass and other sharp objects

"So we worked with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Staffordshire forensics."

Giddy is based in Coventry where Mr Daw works in fire investigation team made up of five people.

He took on his dog handler role within the team earlier this year when Giddy joined the service after she was sourced from a specialist breeder who train dogs for police and military.

"So we are now a match made in heaven," he said.