BREEDERS, suppliers and residents in Halton are being asked if they wish to donate any spaniels or labradors to be trained as police dogs.

Ideally, the dogs will be aged between 10 and 18 months and display some of the qualities required to work for the police.

PC Richie Land, a dog training instructor for Cheshire Police, said: "We are looking for dogs that are friendly, strong and ones that don′t give up easily.

"You may have a dog that′s too energetic and requires a lot of attention. They may be too big and cause damage to your home. “Some people can find this type of dog too much work and look to re-home them. This is the type of dog we′re after."

A good training dog is confident with plenty of energy and enthusiasm and playful, likes to run after a ball.

Once the dog has a ball or favourite toy, if it is possessive and shows unwillingness to give it up, that is also ideal.

A good nose is also essential as some of the training will focus on searching for and finding toys when they are hidden out of sight.

If anyone has a dog they would like to donate, please call 01606 362682 and ask for PC Richie Land or Sergeant Gareth Wrigley.

For more information about the Cheshire Police Dogs Section, visit www.cheshire.police.uk.