A police dog has been taking the lead on crime by sniffing out £63,500 worth of drugs and cash in his first four months.

TJ, a 22-month-old Springer Spaniel, is part of the specialist dog team from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit.

He joined in January after completing his training course in December.

Since then, TJ has been on roughly one warrant a day, helping recover drugs from cannabis to cocaine and in the arrests of a number of people. In one raid he discovered £20,000 worth of cocaine and £5,000 in cash.

On Good Friday (April 18), TJ attended a warrant with the Tactical Team at an address in Cambridge. He sniffed out cannabis, cocaine and cash. A 22-year-old man from Cambridge was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs. He has been bailed until June 9.

Dog handler PC Matt Franklin said: “The work of a specialist dog is invaluable and can save a lot of time.

“TJ came to me as a family pet in Wales. He was too boisterous for the family, but we soon saw his potential.

“He joins me and my other dog Thor who is a German Shepherd trained for firearms support and general purpose work.”

The unit has 10 dogs which are trained to find drugs, cash and weapons.