NEW police dogs who will be the eyes and ears of Wiltshire Police have joined the force, after a six-strong group of dogs passed their final test and joined the Tri-Force Specialist Operations Dog Unit.

The dogs and their handlers all completed 13 weeks of intense training which culminated in a day of celebration at Wiltshire Police HQ.

Two of the partnerships, PC Neil Parsons and PD Aaron and PC Mike Barrett and PD Dixie, are from the Wiltshire force while the other four pairings serve with the Avon and Somerset force. As the dogs work with the Tri-force team, they will all be involved in working on the streets of Wiltshire

To mark the end of their course, the group were presented with certificates by Superintendent Mark Sellers, Head of Force Operations at Wiltshire Police.

PC Barratt, who has been a Wiltshire dog handler for many years, said: “When you’ve had a dog for seven years previously, you know each other inside out, so when they retire and you get a new dog, it is really difficult.

"It’s like starting a new job, you don’t know each other’s little quibbles and you almost expect them to be able to do something immediately. The course was brilliant and the dogs all passed with flying colours.”

Dog trainer and instructor Craig Ogilvie added: “The hard work and dedication that the team put in made the course a huge success. The dogs were all fantastic and that’s the most important thing.”