MEET one of the latest additions to the Warrington police force whose cuddly exterior should not to be underestimated.

Armed with a nose for trouble two-year-old springer Rufus has made his first class A drugs find following a police raid on Poplars Avenue last week.

The rescue dog was quickly able to sniff out a quantity of heroin and crack cocaine hidden in a pillowcase in the property after officers executed the warrant at 10am.

Rufus was able to detect the concealed drugs stash after undergoing a series of training exercises since October with the help of licensing enforcement officer and associate dog handler Neil Jukes.

Arguably one of the cutest members of the police force, Rufus is now fully trained to assist officers during raids to combat the war on drugs in Warrington.

Rufus, whose training has been funded by the Warrington Community Safety Partnership, will be based at the town centre station and will work alongside Officer Jukes.

Sgt Paul Flynn, who coordinated the raid which led to one man being charged with drugs possession, said the find was a great result for Rufus.

He said: “Officers entered and swept the property before Rufus and Neil carried out a search of the property.

“He was quickly able to track down a quantity of drugs. Dogs have a much better sense of smell and it is great to have another tool in our armoury as we continue to tackle drug use in the town.”

While Rufus could be deployed on drug warrants, he is also a familiar face on the night scene after he was trained in the art of scanning.

Using his sense of smell, Rufus can quickly identify those in possession of drugs and often assists officer Jukes on night duty to trace drugs that are in circulation in the town.

Richard Spedding, inspector for Warrington Community Safety Partnership, said while Cheshire Police have a number of police drugs trained and ready to tackle criminal activity in the county, it is great news for Warrington to have a dedicated drugs dog in the town to continue the fight against illegal substances.