Pet dogs recruited for Humberside Police drugs searches

Pet dogs are being recruited by Humberside Police in an effort to save up to £4,000 on new sniffer dogs.

The force aims to boost the number of sniffer dogs from six to 10 and is looking for Labradors, springers or cocker spaniels.

It hopes to save hundreds of pounds per dog by retraining pets to help with drugs and cash searches.

Humberside Police said it had to turn to pet owners because of "a lack of good dogs on the market".

The dogs need to be of a good temperament, young - aged between 12 and 24 months - and have a high drive to both search for and play with a ball, the force said.

'Bit of a hooligan'

Dog handler PC Paul Harrison said: "It's just getting the dog into a lot of things that are in everyday homes - cupboards, wardrobes, under a bath, a bed or the sofa.

"So we want dogs that are mischievous, a bit of a hooligan to be able to jump up on furniture."

More than 20 pet owners have volunteered their dogs to the force.

Ashley Dixon, owner of a recently rescued spaniel called Freddie, said: "I thought he'd get a very good life, probably one better than what I would be able to give him.

"He's a very quick learner is Freddie. It doesn't take him long to get around things."

The new recruits will each be allocated to a dog handler and after a five-week training programme, will then be deployed on police jobs.