A badly injured police officer crawled through woodland on her hands and knees with her dog to find a missing woman.
Constable Carly Fulton suffered a broken heel and torn ligaments in her ankle when she lost her footing while searching in Lanarkshire with her sidekick, police dog Ben.
Undeterred by the painful injury the pair continued to scour the scene until they eventually found the lady.
Due to their selfless determination they have been acknowledged and awarded a national prize.
The drama unfolded when PC Fulton and dog Ben were called into service to help with a missing person search in Carluke last August.
Local authorities were supported by national resources, including a police helicopter and licensed search officers, but their progress was limited due to the difficult environment.
Despite the tough conditions PC Fulton and PD Ben were determined to continue their search.
The missing woman was later taken to hospital and officer Fulton required rehabilitation for her injuries before returning to full duties six months later.
After being nominated by Sergeant Iain McAlpine, they won the National Police Chiefs’ Council ‘Dog Team of the Year’ award. It was presented to them by Chief Constable Pippa Mills, NPCC lead for police dogs, at Crufts on Sunday, the international dog show held in Birmingham.
Constable Carly Fulton said: “I’m grateful to receive this award but after my injury, I’m just glad to be back at work with my dogs.
“Due to the nature of that incident, I knew we had to find the woman quickly and that was the focus for me.
“Ben was my first dog when I joined the national Dog Unit and I’m always amazed at the power of his nose and what dogs bring to policing to save lives.”
Six-year-old Ben is a Belgian Malinois and German Shephard cross breed who is trained as a general purpose dog. He can help find missing people, track suspects and recover evidence.
Chief Superintendent Tracey Robinson, head of Specialist Services, said: “I would like to congratulate Carly and Ben for winning this award which recognises their incredible determination and dedication to public service.
“All of our dog handlers work extremely hard developing their skills and provide crucial support as a national resource to local policing and their communities.
“I’m very proud and glad that Carly and Ben have been able to enjoy some time at Crufts to collect their award.”
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