West Yorkshire Police welcome a new four-legged member to the force

West Yorkshire Police have welcomed a new addition to the force- Frank the Cocker Spaniel.

He's joined the Dog Support Unit and is being trained as a search dog. When he's fully trained he'll be joining other specially trained animals on operations at Leeds Bradford Airport, where Frank will be shown the ropes by Harley.

Sergeant Stewart Dunderdale who oversees West Yorkshire Police's Dog Support Unit said: “We use dogs like Frank as they have such a fantastic and sensitive sense of smell, but it’s still hard work for them, and it's only fair they get a good rest in-between working to make sure they are at the top of their game.

“Having the kennel at the airport will be a great resource, and helps us to offer the best in welfare to our four-legged colleagues, it is also available for our partners from Border Force who also work search dogs at the Airport.

"Frank will be one of a number of specially trained search dogs that we have as part of the Dog Support Unit. The dogs are an invaluable asset, and really do support the front line in searching for missing people, dangerous offenders or in the case of Frank finding contraband items.

"The dogs offer a great deal of reassurance to the public and they are a fantastic way for people to engage with us, especially when they are a character like Frank.

“Our canine colleague’s health and wellbeing is always our primary concern, and it’s great to have these facilities available which mean they have somewhere safe and secure to rest.”