Overview

• A BMW collided with a Dog Support Unit vehicle on Stockton Street in Hartlepool at around 9pm on July 17, injuring two police dogs and their handler.
• Veterinary assessments found one dog uninjured while Springer Spaniel PD Bert was humanely put to sleep due to the severity of his injuries.
• The officer travelling in the support unit sustained minor injuries in the collision.
• A 33-year-old man has been charged with drink driving and bailed to appear at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on August 1, and enquiries into the crash remain ongoing.
• During three-and-a-half years with Cleveland Police, Bert located £250,000 in criminal cash in a single search and was deployed to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London.