South Wales Police's dog recruits in Olympics build-up

Springer spaniels Norman and Woody are among five new recruits that will start work with South Wales Police after London 2012

Five raw young recruits have been welcomed into South Wales Police's dog school at a busy time for a unit regarded as a centre of excellence.

While the springer spaniel puppies will enter active service only after the Olympics, some of its earlier "graduates" will help police the games.

Officers say the build-up to London 2012 will be a particularly active period for dog sections around the UK.

Officers say the South Wales Police school has never been in such demand.

Woody, PJ, Norman, Patsy and Buddy have started their basic training and it is expected the five 13-week-olds will eventually work in the drugs section.

But for now their training consists of learning to chase and retrieve, socialising and generally becoming used to the different settings in which they might one day find themselves.

"The dogs themselves go home with their handlers," said Insp Mark Hobrough.

"Springer spaniels, labradors and cocker spaniels generally make good police dogs because they are intent on trying to please, they have a real inquisitive mind and are happy in all sorts of social environments."

He said these could range from searching a criminal's house to being on duty in the Welsh assembly.

The force uses dogs to search to help detect cash, firearms and ammunition. Next autumn the five newcomers will start to specialise, but the new recruits will probably be taught to hunt illegal substances.

'Plenty of promise'

Insp Hobrough said the force's dog section, which has four full-time instructors, had never been so busy.

There are 73 fully operational dogs in the unit, 31 of whom are search specialists.

The school trains police dogs for all the Welsh forces as well as some from England, and dogs from every force will be called upon for the Olympics.

While some dogs and their handlers will be seconded to Olympic events in London, others will be used for those happening elsewhere in the UK.

Following the Olympics, a number of dogs from south Wales are due to retire.

Insp Hobrough said the five new recruits were already showing plenty of promise and should be ready to start work when their older colleagues bow out.