Police puppy sniffs out live ammunition - before even starting his training

A puppy who has been earmarked for a career as a police dog has already proved his worth, by nosing out some live ammunition before even starting his training.

George, a 16-week-old black Labrador puppy who has been selected to join the City of London Police Dogs Unit, made the surprise discovery on his Sunday morning walk.

Although he has been chosen as a police dog, he has yet to begin his training with the police, and was out walking with his handler, named only as Scott.

George made the discovery as they were walking along Riverdale Road, an area of green space around the River Shuttle in the London Borough of Bexley, at around 7.30am on Sunday morning.

Scott, who lives locally, said: “He hasn’t even started his training yet, but he must have a natural aptitude.

"He was nosing around the base of a tree, in some foliage, and I came over and had a look and saw he’d found some ammunition. I couldn’t believe it.”

Scott called the Metropolitan Police and local officers attended and removed the ammunition.

The City of London Police is responsible for policing the Square Mile, London’s central financial district, and is also the national lead Police Force for fraud.

The Dogs Unit handles dogs which are specially trained to sniff out items such as drugs, bombs, and money, and when the dogs are not on duty, they live with their handlers.