A pair of canine crime fighters have become West Yorkshire Police’s first to be honoured by a national charity.

Drugs dog Fern and general purpose dog Kes have been awarded medals by the K9 Memorial charity after finally hanging up their leads to retire with their handler, PC John Leak.

The police dogs and other canine colleagues have been described as the ‘unsung heroes’ of policing by the charity.

John, Fern and Kes worked together for many years to help locate illicit drugs and cash and arrest some of West Yorkshire’s more prolific criminals.

John said: “Through being a dog handler you get to work with your best friend and colleague 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins and PC John Leak with Fern and Kes.

”To go on a job your colleagues in districts have worked on and find somebody who has evaded justice has always been a real buzz and it still is. At the end of the day it is all about bring criminals to justice and keeping communities safe.”

Fern, a springer spaniel, joined West Yorkshire Police after completing her basic course at Greater Manchester Police in 2009 and worked as a specialist search dog trained to find currency, firearms and narcotics.

Kes, a German Shepherd, was bred by the force and completed her basic training in 2010. She has served as a general purpose police dog and later successfully completed a firearms support course.

Both dogs were presented with their medals by West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins in a ceremony at the force’s Carr Gate complex on August 31.