Cute enforcers ready for walkies on beat.

Byline: By Katie Hart

Puppy power is in force at Northumbria Police's Dog Section as nearly 30 cute recruits are getting ready for a life fighting crime.

Ten cocker spaniel pups have been bought from a breeder in Yorkshire, and 17 German shepherd puppies are the fruits of a new in-house breeding programme. It is hoped the puppies will be added to the ranks of the organisation if they make the grade in about a year's time.

Trainers are focusing on socialising the puppies early. This involves taking them to places such as railway stations, football matches and shopping areas to get them used to different environments, surfaces and noises.

Insp Ken Crossley, of the dog section, describes the new breeding programme as "a real achievement for the force" which will provide many benefits.

He said: "Firstly, it's cheaper to breed the dogs ourselves rather than buy them. We were also finding that many of the German shepherds around the country were being bred from show lines for their looks rather than from a working line.

"This meant a handler could sometimes be training a succession of up to 10 dogs, each one failing to make the grade.

"Thanks to this breeding programme we can make sure the dog is more likely to have the temperament and physique we need."

There are two litters of German shepherds, the first born on April 30 to Ceris, and the second, a litter of six, born on May 19 to Cassy. It is hoped they will become general-purpose police dogs whose work involves taking part in searches, apprehending suspects and crowd control.

Four of the cocker spaniels are destined to become explosives sniffer dogs, working closely with police search advisers. Their work will include searches on the routes of royal visits and checking a football stadium before a match.

The remaining six puppies will be trained to search for weapons as well as drugs.