Worcester police dog monument created from knives and blades

The statue, created by Ironwork centre sculptor Luke Kite, honours the "bravery, loyalty and service of the police dogs of West Mercia"

A monument has been unveiled to police dogs created from seized knives and decommissioned guns.

The statue, which stands outside West Mercia Police headquarters in Hindlip, recognises the "loyalty and service" of the force's canines.

It was created free of charge by sculptors at the British Ironworks Centre, Oswestry.

Police said the sculpture was "an incredible reminder of the hard work, dedication and bravery of the dogs".

The piece contains weapons and blades left over from the creation of the Knife Angel, a 26-foot high (8m) tribute to victims of knife crime, as well as whistles, canine ID tags and dog bowls.

A national police dog memorial was unveiled in Essex in April, but the make-up of this monument made it unique, said the British Ironwork Centre.

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"It will be the first one that's ever been created using weapons and blades," said Clive Knowles, chairman at the centre.

Dog handlers and their four-legged colleagues, including retired police dog Bacca and former handler Mike Davey, also attended the unveiling.

Bacca received a top bravery award in July for defending Mr Davey from an assailant armed with a knife, suffering stab wounds in the process.