Coppers meets Nottinghamshire Police's dogs and their handlers, who face some of the toughest challenges on the front-line, from crowd control at football matches and catching suspects on the run, to sniffing out drugs, guns and money.

After recent cuts, Nottinghamshire Police have 16 dog handlers to cover the whole county, with two on duty at any given time. The officers are some of the most experienced in the force and their services are in huge demand.

As well as handling dogs, the officers of the Dog Section are trained high-speed drivers, often the first to arrive at a crime scene with little idea who - or what - is awaiting them.

The dogs are trained for 14 weeks. The 'general purpose' Alsatians need 19 separate skills and are capable of biting with a force of 250 lbs per square inch.

The 'sniffer' spaniels are expected to detect drugs, firearms and money; some have even been trained to distinguish between Sterling, Euros and Dollars.

The officers are unusual in that they literally 'take the job home with them', looking after the police dogs while off duty. It's an intense partnership that lasts up to eight years.

PC Stuart Hazard is a former traffic and firearms officer who, like many of his colleagues, waited years to join the Dog Section. A high-speed pursuit expert, he and his Alsatian Razor make a formidable team.

Meanwhile, at 48, PC Andy Pickersgill is the oldest officer in the section and only a year from retirement. A former Navy stoker, he's spent his whole police career with dogs, and his dog Blade is the doyenne of Nottinghamshire's police dogs.