Veteran police dog handler Mick Bingham who ran the force’s kennels at Stockbury until he retired in 2001 has died. He was 86.

Former colleagues formed a guard of honour at his funeral at the Garden of England Cemetery at Bobbing near Sittingbourne, on Tuesday, May 2.

Mr Bingham, a former Royal Navy radar technician, joined Kent Police in 1963.

After serving as a beat constable at Sevenoaks he joined the force’s motorcycle patrol and then became a detective.

But in January 1970 his life changed when he was selected to join the dog section.

Two years later, he was put in charge of the kennels at Stockbury, off the A249, and helped train Sandy, a Labrador, to seek out drugs.

In 1974 he began training Kent’s first explosives search dog Dina, a German Shepherd, along with Army bomb disposal experts and scientists from the Woolwich Arsenal.

Mr Bingham retired from the force in 1992 but was allowed to stay on as kennel manager until December 2001 when he turned 65.

His friend Roger Vaughan, a former Kent Messenger photographer, said: “Mick later went on to form and become president of the Stockbury Dog Club which still helps train pets every Sunday morning.

“He was a special guy and very well respected as was illustrated by the huge turn-out at his funeral.”

Two police dogs formed part of the guard of honour. The coffin was draped in a union flag.

Mr Bingham was born in Brasted Chart on December 15, 1936.

He once wrote: “Life almost ended shortly after because I caught double-pneumonia. I was christened immediately in our kitchen as there was a suspicion I might not survive.

“Happily for me, the christening worked its magic.”

He won a scholarship to Sir Andrew Judd Grammar School in Tonbridge but had to leave because of a severe case of hay fever.

After a brief stint as an apprentice carpenter he signed up to the Royal Navy between 1953 and 1963, serving on a number of ships including frigates and minesweepers.

He was stationed at Cyprus and HMS Pembroke in Chatham.

He died after contracting pneumonia and leaves a widow, Brenda.