A bright police dog has been praised for his epic nose-sniffing skills after catching a suspected car thief hiding half-naked in an attic.
Dramatic body-cam footage shows the moment the clever K9 led his team of officers to the loft, where the burglar was curled up behind a wall. The 26-year-old man was chased by police after he rammed into one of their vehicles in a stolen BMW on August 3.The driver sped off before being pursued by traffic cops to Beeches Road in Oscott, Great Barr, Birmingham.
Police sniffer dog Romeo led officers to an address nearby where cannabis plants and a suspected firearm were recovered. Body-worn camera footage captures the hound leading his handler to a small attic space in one of the rooms. The officer opens the door to find the topless suspect cowering in the corner and cheerily says: "Hello mate!"
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He warns "come here or the dog comes in" before handcuffing the man on the bedroom floor as he crawls from his hiding place.
The suspect, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs, possession of a firearm and burglary.
He was released on bail pending further enquiries.
Superintendent Jim Munro, of West Midlands Police, said: "Our officers are not only working to keep the thousands of people safe across the region who are attending CWG, but are still continuing to crack down on those committing crime in our region.
"Not only have we found and located a stolen car, but a potential lethal weapon and illegal drugs have also been found and taken off our streets.
"Catching thieves who target cars is one of our top priorities and yesterday’s work is just one of many examples of our commitment to finding those who may be responsible."
Last week, police officers were forced to smash the window of a car to save a young, distressed dog from a boiling hot vehicle.
An anonymous Samaritan spotted the dehydrated spaniel in the Centre Livingston car park, in Edinburgh, and called authorities for help.
A parking ticket placed on the car window revealed the pooch had been trapped inside for 90 minutes, with temperatures reporting around 23C outside.
An online calculator estimates that temperatures inside the car after one hour would be approximately 47C.
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