A four-legged crime fighter has completed his training to become a professional police dog.

Dorset Police's specialist forces team announced on Instagram that trainee police dog Oakley officially became PD Oakley after completing a ten week specialist course.

Dogs have played a vital role in the work of Dorset Police since 1953 when the county was among the first in Britain to set up a specialist section.

One police dog Jeff, a springer spaniel, was awarded 'The Community Superstar Award' in 2022 and a bag of goodies for his crime-fighting achievements.

READ MORE: Dorset Police dog PD Jeff wins Community Superstar award

Spaniels and Labradors are the breeds which typically undergo specialist training to locate substances or objects of interest to the police.

The team shared how Oakley's previous owner found that the dog was better suited to a life of crime fighting than a traditional family home environment.

The owner subsequently reached out to Dorset Police to help him become a canine crime fighter.