Respect is what the police ask for and should be given.

Bruce, a loyal member of the police service, deserved nothing more and nothing less.

Why then was this dog just discarded as if he was an old, broken piece of equipment?

Why did his handler face the torture of seeing his loyal colleague and friend face an end to his short life?

No thanks, consideration or thought was given for a life serving the public in frequent pursuit of dangerous or violent criminals.

I find the comments made by Assistant Chief Constable Nigel Yeo absolutely disgusting.

If a police officer overstepped the mark, he or she would face either disciplinary procedures or, in more extreme cases, criminal action.

To my knowledge, no police officer has ever had his life terminated for overstepping the mark.

The decision to destroy Bruce seemed to all concerned to be a hastily and ill-conceived judgement made by the Sussex Police senior management to cover its tracks and avoid any legal battles.

Political correctness, as so considered by Nigel Yeo and senior management at Sussex Police, has ended the life of a fine dog that at worst overstepped the mark.

A better understanding of working police dogs, their role and position within all police forces should now be undertaken.

It is now time for senior management within the police service to accept that police dogs are not just pieces of equipment and should be shown the respect and understanding they deserve.

-Paul Stenning, Fulking