Lincolnshire Police are welcoming eight new four-legged recruits

Likely to be Spaniels and Labradors, these crime-busting canines will be trained to sniff out firearms, drugs, explosives, cash and even electronic devices.

The first two of these dogs will arrive during 2019, with another six set to follow.

These are seen as a welcome addition to the force, increasing its capability from the three specialist search dogs which are already trained and operational.

Kerrin Wilson, assistant chief constable, said: “I am very excited that we are adding to the capabilities of our dog section and in particular, adding dogs to our ranks that can sniff out electronic devices, mobile phones and even SIM cards.

“This means if you were thinking of hiding something from us when we come to do a search, you’re wasting your time because these dogs will find it.

“I am an avid fan of the dog section and the capabilities it offers us in protecting our communities, enhancing the section would not have been possible without the PCC increasing the council tax precept for policing. In fact, we would have really struggled to actually keep our police dogs and this vital service.”

Marc Jones, police and crime commissioner, added: “The addition of this superb canine capability will help Lincolnshire Police to take the fighting of crime to those serious criminals who have no regard for the mayhem and misery they inflict on our communities.

“As a result of the support from residents for increasing council tax this year it has been possible to provide the chief constable with vital funding that he is putting to great effect to protect the people of Lincolnshire.

“This is just one example of how taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely in the fight against crime in our county and one that I am very pleased to welcome.”

Once the new search dogs are trained, they will be partnered with the force’s dog handlers who already possess a general purpose dog.

These dogs are trained to search for suspects or missing people through tracking and they can locate items that have been dropped or concealed during a police incident.

They can also chase and detain violent suspects who run away when challenged.

Some general purpose police dogs even have advanced training which means they can assist with firearms incidents.

This extra training includes searching buildings and stopping suspects who may be armed.