Police sniffer dog finds suspected drink driver hiding in bush by the A1 in Northumberland

Shortly before 1am on Saturday (May 16), officers received a call reporting that a Ford Fiesta had gone off the road on the A1 near Berwick.

Officers attended and found the car in a ditch, with the lights on and the airbags deployed but no driver in sight.

Concerned for the driver’s safety, police conducted an extensive search of the area with the help of the force helicopter and the dog unit.

Police dog, Obi, located the driver hiding in a bush nearby and, after a littler persuasion from the six-year-old German Shepherd, he soon found himself in handcuffs.

Now a senior officer at Northumbria Police has praised the work of the specialist units.

Superintendent Craig Metcalfe said: “This was a fantastic effort by a number of different departments and a great demonstration of teamwork.

“The officers on the ground carried out extensive enquiries to identify and locate the driver.

“Then the added help of the police helicopter and PD Obi and his handler meant we were able to locate the driver so we could carry out the necessary enquiries surrounding the collision.

“Luckily no one was seriously injured in this collision but we’re urging all drivers to take caution on the roads and drive responsibly.”

The 65-year-old driver has since been released under investigation.

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