A fearless police dog that chased down a violent man has been given an award for her paw-fect bravery during an operation in Bexley.

The proud pooch, Karly, was honoured for her bravery when she tackled an offender in June 2012 and raced nearly 100 metres to detain him, despite receiving serious injuries.

She was working on the plain clothes operation to ensure the arrest of a man wanted for various offences including a bank robbery.

Dog handler PC Mandy Chapman and Karly were required to remain in a confined area for a very long time, with no possibility of relief, as they waited for the suspect to emerge from a property in Bexley – the exact details cannot be disclosed due to the sensitivity of the case.

As the man left the address PC Chapman let Karly go from the car in a discreet manner so as not to alert the suspect.

When the man was challenged to stop by officers, he started sprinting down the road.

Karly was off her leash and on her paws to race to stop the subject and managed 80 metres before detaining the man.

The suspect fought Karly and inflicted an eye injury on her but she continued to keep hold of the suspect until support arrived a short time later.

The suspect was safely detained and taken into police custody and later sentenced to 10 years in prison.

PC Chapman received the award alongside Karly at a special Met Police ceremony on Friday (May 16).

The now retired dog handler paid tribute to her "beautiful dog" from whom she is "inseparable".

She said: “She has always been a very brave dog and I have been honoured to work alongside her for nine wonderful years.

"We are now both retired and enjoying our long walks, inseparable as ever. This award is wonderful - the icing on the cake with a cherry on top.

"I am very proud of this beautiful dog who has attended dozens of school visits, helped children overcome their fear of dogs, been responsible for countless outstanding arrests and located blood at a crime scene resulting in an arrest for murder."