JJ the German Shepherd honoured for collaring knife-wielding robber

A "fearless" police dog who tracked down a knife-wielding robber has been awarded for his devotion to duty.

German Shepherd JJ was honoured by the vet charity PDSA after managing to sniff out the phone thief who was hiding in bushes, West Midland Police said.

Dog handler Pc Wayne Mellings and JJ were called to Saltley, Birmingham, after reports that a 15-year-old girl had been robbed of her iPhone at knifepoint.

The pair set off in pursuit of the teenage suspect and three-year-old JJ tracked his scent into a cul-de-sac where two other mobile phones and a credit card had been hidden in undergrowth.

They then scaled railings during the search for the robber and found him lying low in bushes with the iPhone.

Pc Mellings said: "This was typical of JJ. He is fearless and has a real nose for sniffing out evidence and catching criminals.

"JJ managed to follow the scent to a commercial estate then lead us to some bushes where the suspect was hiding in the undergrowth. He was still holding the young girl's mobile phone.

"JJ played a vital role in catching the offender and recovering the stolen phone. He fully deserves this recognition."

The police dog was presented with the PDSA Commendation as part of the charity's animal awards programme on Thursday.

Rebecca Thorne, senior vet at the charity's Aston Pet Hospital, said: "PDSA has a long tradition of honouring animals and JJ's story really epitomises the value that animals bring to our lives."

Police said a 17-year-old was put on a youth rehabilitation order - including a 16-week overnight curfew - and ordered to pay compensation for the offences.

JJ was named after Private Jeff Doherty who was killed while serving with the Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan in 2008.