Spud hangs up his lead after ending his police career on a high.

A CHAMPION police dog from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has hung up his lead after becoming the most successful K9 in a national event.

Belgium Shepherd, Spud, was crowned top dog in his final competition at the National Police Dog Trials on 14 April, beating off 22 other competitors to become National Police Dog Champion 2011.

The seven-year-old police dog will be retiring after winning a record number of awards making him the most successful police competition dog in the country.

He ends his successful career alongside his police handler Sergeant Paul Glennon in July this year.

Sergeant Glennon said: “I am overjoyed that Spud won this award in our final competition together.

“The standard of the fellow competitors was very high with most of the competing dogs aged around four or five years old so for Spud to become National Police Dog Champion at the tail end of his career is incredible.

“I am extremely proud of him.”

He added: “He has an excellent track record and has been a real asset to the Force both in competition and operationally helping to catch offenders and finding vulnerable missing persons – he’s definitely the best police dog the Force has ever had.”

The three-day national trials test a range of abilities and skills including tracking, person search, weapon attack, obedience and crowd control.

Spud also took the top awards in the categories for tracking, searching and criminal work.

He has also won the Southwest Regional Dog Trials a record of five times and has come runner up in the National Police Dog Trials three years running.

Spud will continue living with Sergeant Glennon after he retires.