A puppy found dumped in a cage last winter is now a crime-fighting sniffer dog.

Cocker spaniel Chester and his five siblings were discovered shivering on a cold January day after being abandoned on the side of the road in Hersden, near Canterbury.

Now known as PD Chester, he finally finished his eight-month training period and qualified as a licensed police dog on October 26.

Despite his rough start in life, the canine showed an immediate talent for sniffing things out when living with RSPCA foster owner Sarah Piggott.

“After just a few days with Chester it became apparent that he had huge energy levels that no amount of walking seemed to exhaust," she said.

“I realised he had a real drive for searching and sniffing things out when he’d easily find other dogs’ lost tennis balls on walks.

“I started hiding tennis balls and sending him to find them; he’d play for hours. He wouldn’t give up until he found it.”

When a couple of families who considered adopting Chester found he just had too much energy for them, Sarah decided to look to the police for both a home and a job for the pooch.

Ms Pigott, who said she found it hard to let Chester go but knew it was best for him to be a working dog, said: “I was tempted to keep Chester as we’d grown really attached to him but I wanted him to have the best life possible and I knew his dream would be a home where he could search and sniff all day.

“Chester had an initial assessment with the police and they were impressed with his drive, energy and concentration, despite the fact he’d had such a bad start in life and had missed out on months of training that other police dogs had already had by his age.”

Despite being four months behind his peers, who were bred for police work, he quickly caught up with them.

He was then paired with his handler, PC Kim Hackett, for a final six-week intensive training course.

The pair passed with flying colours and their graduation was celebrated on November 3.

PD Chester and his handler will now be deployed across Surrey and Sussex to catch criminals and keep the public safe.

Geoff Wiltshire, Surrey Police dog school manager said: “Chester has been amazing since he arrived with us. He has gone from strength to strength and has done really well to pass his detection course.

“Our standards are very high and he has proven himself to have all the necessary qualities to succeed in this important role. His handler, Kim, has a great bond with him and we look forward to seeing results from this new team.”