Tess the police pooch is lapping up her latest trick - searching underwater for missing bodies!
The sea dog is taking to the waves in search of bodies that might be buried under water.
The two-year-old collie is currently being trained by her handler, Preston policeman Brian Sanderson, to sniff out the scent of dead piglets buried in cages.
And if the trials are a success, dogs could soon be helping make the job of police divers quicker and less dangerous when searching for missing people.
PC Sanderson said: "I'm amazed what Tess and the other dogs can do.
"We go out in a dinghy to scour the water and if the dog detects something, it will lick the water, bark or wag its tail. Divers follow the dog's signal to conduct a search. We use different conditions such as still, salt and running water at secret North West locations. The pigs are left for varying lengths of time to test out different levels of decomposition. We are very excited about it. We hope it's going to prove a success."
After the search, scientists at Birmingham University test water samples to see if gas levels or skin particles gave the game away.
The innovative idea has impressed the Home Office so much it has given £5,000 to Lancashire Constabulary to carry out trials for a further 12 months - and if they prove effective, dogs will be trained to assist underwater search teams throughout the country.
The idea is the brainchild of Blackpool-based Sergeant Mike Swindles who studied a similar system in America.
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