“DID the dog really track us from where we ran?”

Three thieves were shocked after a heroic police dog tracked them down after a theft at a caravan park.

Police were called to reports of a large number of gas cannisters being stolen from The Willows in Lidsey Road, Bognor, at about 2am on October 1.

A witness said the crooks loaded them into the back of a white Ford Transit van and an informant tipped officers off that the vehicle had made off towards the town - also providing its registration number.

Shortly afterwards it was spotted and officers chased it onto the North Bersted Bypass towards Felpham.

The driver pulled over near a pathway and three men jumped out and ran.

Officers set off after the thieves and arrested one man after he slipped on a manhole cover as he tried to escape, but the other two men could not be found.

So, at 2.30am, Sussex Police called in their secret weapon.

PC Anthony Oliver deployed German shepherd Goose from Sussex Police Dog Unit.

After just 15 minutes, the highly-trained hound found one man hiding in bushes, and soon after he found the final man.

Police arrested Billy Love, 20, unemployed, of Eastbourne Road, Blindley Heath, Surrey; Charles Wakeford, 22, a scaffolder, of no fixed address; and Robert Giles, 20, unemployed, of Lingfield Common Road in Lingfield, Surrey.

Following his arrest, Wakeford asked officers: “Did the dog really track us from where we ran from the van?”

The trio were charged with the theft of 22 full gas bottles and six empty gas bottles, with a total value of approximately £1,419. These were all recovered.

They pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on October 29 and were each given a 12-month community order.

With this, they have to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.

They were also ordered to pay £50 costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

PC Oliver said: “This case should serve as a reminder to people that you can run, but you can’t hide.

“And when it comes to tracking a suspect, there is no better piece of equipment than a trained police dog’s nose.”

PC Jordan Holmes, of the Chichester Investigations Team, added: “This was a great example of officers from different divisions working together to tackle crime, and to keep our community safe.”