Award for police dog

A police dog from Milton Keynes is being recognised today (Thursday) for his role in helping catch a burglar in Olney.

Oscar - who's a German Shepherd - was involved in a chase after a ram raid last October.

His handler, PC Paul Nally, told Heart more:

"They'd broken in to a bakery in Olney and there was a vehicle pursuit. The car crashed and the offenders left the vehicle and one of them was no where to be seen. We used Oscar - we used his nose. He followed the human scent and we went over numerous gardens, across fences and Oscar found the offender hiding in a shed. Without him we would never have found him."

Oscar - who is seven-years-old and has been trained as a police dog since he was eight-months-old - is being commended at a ceremony tonight by Thames Valley Police for his professionalism.

But PC Nally told Heart:

"Oscar probably wouldn't be interested in the commendation itself but he will get an extra few treats when he gets home and I think they've also bought him a bone to give him at the ceremony so I think he'll be more interested in that than the certificate."

PC Nally is also being recognised for the work he did during the same ram raid, which happened at Oliver Adams Bakery in Olney on 25th October. And he says he is extremely proud of Oscar:

"I'm like a proud dad really. It's nice for him to be recognised because he does this - like all police dogs - day after day, night after night. They're out there in all weathers. They get a hard time sometimes, they can meet violent criminals, people we wouldn't want to meet as humans, and I think they deserve the recognition."

A total of 25 people are being acknowledged alongside Oscar tonight. They are:

Zoe Piggot, PC Jan Pascoe and PC Kenneth Miller, Det Con Matthew Darnell, Lee Tompkins, PC Ian Canty, Sgt James Coomber and Sgt Matt Fishwick, A/Ch Insp Amanda Blake, John Baston, PC Mark Reynolds, PC Lisa Stanhope, PC Lee Sturgeon, PC Carl Ludlam, Two members of the public, Alexy Bychkov and Peter Ewart, A/Sgt James Sims, PC Steve Chapman, PC Tristian Jeffs and PC Steph Allardice, Det Con Paul Summerville, PC Marc Brydon and PC Giles Manning, PS Damien Isherwood, Insp Colleen Lavery.