Police's newest fluffy recruit takes his 'first prisoner', a drink driving suspect in Burton Latimer

PD Gru tracked the suspect through four muddy fields, prickly brambles and a stream... until he was eventually found hiding in his bed!
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A 22-year-old man was charged for failing to stop and provide a specimen of breath after he appeared to be drunk in a McDonald's drive-thru.

Police received a report at around 11pm on Saturday, April 3 about a man in a black Land Rover Defender appearing to be drunk in the McDonald's drive-thru in Burton Latimer so officers were swiftly deployed to the scene.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When officers attempted to get the car to stop, the suspect drove away. Enter Northamptonshire police's newest licenced dog: PD Gru.

Gru proceeded to track for a mile across four muddy fields, through several prickly bramble hedge rows and over a flooded boggy field where the mud was up to his belly and up to the knees of his handler, Bradley Bowman.

He then tracked into a housing estate and right up to the front door of a residence in Austin Rise. Police officers used their powers of entry to get into the house and, shortly later, found the suspect hiding upstairs in a bed.

The suspect has since been charged with failing to provide a specimen of breath and failing to stop in connection with the incident.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

PD Gru's handler, Bradley Bowman, said: "This was Gru's first prisoner and he performed brilliantly, I am so proud of him and see this as things to come! Because of this result, I have had to buy cakes for the team, for Gru's first prisoner!"

PD Gru.PD Gru.
PD Gru.

When asked about how PD Gru is finding his new job in the Police Dog Section, Bradley said: "PD Gru is loving life as a police dog! What I would say is he absolutely loves working, especially tracking! We have been taking what we have learnt in training and have been developing his operational and urban - hard surface - tracks over the past couple of weeks!

"General things about Gru are that he loves a ball and also stealing his doggy “sister’s” toys, when he is at home. He also has to have a cuddle from my little boy, when he gets home from work. He is also learning that when the blue lights and sirens go on, he has to lay down and brace himself!"