Northamptonshire Police have welcomed a new member as Thor, a 20-month-old German Shepherd, has begun his career and already made an impact.

Thor took on an eight-week training course which included building and proving his skills in agility, tracking, searching, use of force, safety, property location and public order.

At the end of the rigorous process he passed and both Thor and his handler became fully operational in Northamptonshire Police at the end of August.

Police dog trainer PC Sam Clarke, who oversaw PD Thor’s training and accreditation, said: “PD Thor has a great personality and has been a joy to train alongside his police officer handler. “They have an exciting future ahead of them and I look forward to watching them continue to develop as they work to fight crime and keep people safe in our county.”

The pair’s first job saw PD Thor put his nose to the test, finding illegal drugs which a suspect had discarded in fast-food wrappers.