FOUR-LEGGED recruits have made the grade to become fully fledged police dogs.

The six dogs and their handlers join the Tri-Force Specialist Operations Dogs Unit after completing thirteen weeks of intense training, which culminated in a day of celebration at Wiltshire Police Headquarters on Thursday.

They will now be taking to the streets of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset.

PC Neil Parsons and PD Aaron, and PC Mike Barrett and PD Dixie successfully completed the training and will be serving in Wiltshire.

All the group trained together at different locations across the three counties. To mark the end of their course, the group were presented with certificates by Superintendent Mark Sellers, the 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.”