TWO four-legged crime fighters have proved they are not to be messed with.

They may be small in size, but they both make up for it in speed and strength – and the pair can smell trouble from miles away.

Police dog Max proved his worth when facing up to two men.

One of them, 26-year-old William Gunn, armed with a pair of nunchakus, a martial arts weapon.

Gunn, of Fleet Street, Brighton, was arrested, charged and given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Dog handler PC Mark Fox said: “Concerned for the safety of the public, I ran to the back of my van to deploy PD Max.

“I obtained control of the suspect with PD Max, using verbal commands only, and gained immediate compliance.

“This is a weapon which, if in the wrong hands, could be potentially lethal.

“There is no place on the streets of Sussex for items such as this and anyone caught in possession of an offensive weapon will be dealt with robustly.”

Max isn’t the only canine crime fighter making headlines. Police dog Vinnie really proved he is a cut above the rest when he sniffed out a man who had fled the scene after crashing his car.

The dog’s handler Paul House said: “I arrived at the scene of the crash and took PD Vinnie to the vehicle, where he could associate himself with any scents,” said PC House.

“I then cast him away from the scene and he almost immediately indicated a track south along the road and verges of the A286.

“He continued to track to a bus stop in the village, approximately a quarter of a mile from the crash scene, but didn’t track any further.

“Arresting officers confirmed this is where the driver and his passenger were located, and this tracking evidence contributed to the investigation.”

This mangled wreck was the result of a motorist being almost twice the drink-drive limit.

Gareth Hemingway was behind the wheel of the Renault Scenic which collided with a tree and a telegraph pole on the A286 at Singleton, near Chichester.

Hemingway, 37, unemployed, of Manor Farm Court, Selsey, was subsequently arrested and charged with drink driving.

At Worthing Magistrates’ Court last week he was disqualified from driving for 20 months and fined.

Arresting officer PC Anthony Williams, of the Chichester Response Unit, said: “Hemingway’s decision to drive while almost twice the legal limit was extremely irresponsible, and it’s a decision he no doubt regrets.”