Rare breed puppy Rocky is the latest recruit to join the ranks of canine crime fighters at North Yorkshire Police.

The 11-week old English Shepherd pup has been donated to the force and is set to become a drugs or explosives sniffer dog. Sgt Simon Whitby, head of North Yorkshire Police’s Dog Section, said: “Rocky is believed to be the only English Shepherd police dog in the UK and we’re very grateful to his breeder for donating him to the force. He is currently undergoing his puppy-walking stage with our dog trainer to ensure he is socialised and used to people, other animals and day-to-day situations ranging from noisy traffic to crowds of people.

“During this time, his temperament and behaviour will be monitored to ensure he is suitable for the role of a police dog. At around eight to nine months of age, he will be teamed up with his permanent handler before he attends his formal training course. Once he has qualified, at around 12 to 14 months, he will be capable of sniffing out drugs or explosives.”