Greater Manchester Police dog handler Sergeant Gary Mitchell and his dog Caine are celebrating after scooping top honours in both regional and national competitions.

At the North West Regional Police Dog Trials which took place in Leeds between April 4 and 6, Sergeant Mitchell and Caine won first place in the obedience section and were crowned overall champions.

The duo continued their success at the National Police Dog Trials, held in Nottinghamshire between April 22 and 24, by winning the criminal work category and coming third in the whole competition.

In both trials, Sergeant Mitchell and Caine, who is four years old, have competed against police dogs and their handlers from Forces across the country. They have demonstrated their skills in obedience, criminal, tracking and search work.

Sergeant Mitchell said: “It is extremely enjoyable for both Caine and myself to take part in these competitions and win awards. I am proud to represent Greater Manchester Police in the various dog trials, as it gives me an opportunity to show other police forces and members of the public the talent and ability of our police dogs.”

Sergeant Mitchell and Caine will also be taking part in police dog trials to be hosted by Greater Manchester Police. These will take place on June 22 and 23 at GMP’s Dog Training Unit, Hough End, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. On June 22, young police dogs from across the country, who have had less than 18 months operational experience, will be competing against each other and on June 23, the trials will be open to dogs of all ages. Members of the public are invited to attend both of these events, where they will have the chance to see other highly-skilled police dogs like Caine, in action.