With exclusive access to handlers working with some of Britain’s hundreds of police dogs, this new four-part ITV1 series explores the everyday challenges they face – including explosives, armed criminals and violent crowds, as well as potential terrorists.

The final episode of the series looks at the extraordinary work of the West Yorkshire Police Dog Unit as they search for drugs, track a car thief and still make time to visit a primary school.

In Leeds city centre two year old cocker spaniel Bella, who specialises in finding drugs, money and explosives, is called in to search a vehicle. Her handler, PC Ian Moore, has two dogs and says of his job:

“I get to go to search for drugs, guns and money. That’s what it’s all about, that’s what I joined up for, to lock up the bad guys really.”

PC Tim Yates and rookie police dog Otto attempt to track a car thief who has set fire to the vehicle making it harder for the dog to catch a scent through the smoke. PC Yates explains why he prefers a dog to a gun:

“When you’re going into dangerous situations, I know it sounds stupid but I feel a lot safer with a dog than a gun. They scare the living daylights out of me do guns. A dog’s going to give you at least a good indication that there’s something or somebody there.”

There’s also footage from Gloucester and South West Wales as handler Alun Williams tells the incredible story of his dog, nine-year-old German Shepherd Jac, whose nose is so sensitive that weeks after a person has walked somewhere Jac can track their exact route – a skill that helped convict a killer.

Monday, 4 August 2008, 8:00PM - 9:00PM ITV1