Two new police dogs will be on patrol in Hertfordshire – paid for with cash seized from criminals.

Daz, a 17-month-old Labrador, and Jack, an 18-month-old Spaniel, were trained by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Police Dog unit using money taken under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Both dogs, selected from animal rescue centres, have been trained over a six-week period to find drugs, money, guns and ammunition.

Detective Superintendent Jane Swinburne, of the serious organised crime group, said: “We have already had significant sums of cash recovered as a result of specialist dog finds. Recently a dog discovered a large amount of cash inside electrical equipment which would not have been dismantled as part of a routine search.

“The skills these dogs bring to both forces cannot be underestimated. A specialist police dog has the capability to search an entire house in a fraction of the time it would take a team of officers, consequently saving not only time, but also valuable resources.”