Standing down

A team of six police dogs specially trained to help with firearms incidents are being removed from service because they are not proving as successful as originally hoped.

Officers from South Yorkshire Police's armed response team would attend each call-out with the firearms-trained dogs and the animals would

often be the first to enter and search buildings.

However, general purpose police dogs which are not specifically trained in firearms skills will now be used by officers instead.

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Chief Constable for South Yorkshire, Meredydd Hughes, said: "While this particular tactic seemed like a good idea, they are not giving the benefits we'd really hoped they would.

"This is a tactic that we no longer wish to pursue. But this is not about saving money. That money will be reinvested into other tactics, back into front-line services. The public will be just as safe."

Firearms support dogs in South Yorkshire were also the first in the country to be kitted out in body armour to protect them from being stabbed or shot.

The unique protective jackets worn by the animals weigh just over 5lb and cost 350 each.