Hounds return to scene of the crime

BLOODHOUNDS, the wrinkle- faced stars of many a Hollywood thriller, look set to be used by British police forces following research that found they are far better tracker dogs than the traditional German Shepherds.

They are already being tested by Essex, Devon and Cornwall, and Dyfed- Powys police forces and a Home Office funded research project is to recommend using the dogs nationally. They can track human scent that is up to 20- hours old compared with German Shepherds that can only manage a maximum of about two hours.

PC Malcolm Fish, a dog instructor with Essex police, in charge of the research, is studying two eight-month-old Bloodhounds, Sherlock and Morse, along with two German Shepherd dogs, Regan and Scully. Critics say the dogs are too placid but PC Fish argues they would be used for tracking.