A teenager from Lewisham accused of stabbing a hero police dog and his handler, who were chasing him after an alleged gunpoint robbery, has denied the attack.

PC David Wardell had been tracking a suspect wanted after a taxi firm in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, reported that a driver was being robbed.

The cop's canine colleague Finn suffered severe stab wounds to his head and chest - while PC Wardell sustained an injury to his hand.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has denied causing actual bodily harm to the officer and criminal damage to the dog during the incident on October 4.

The 16-year-old also faced two further charges of possessing an article with a blade or sharp point and possessing a BB gun, which he admitted at a hearing at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court.

The boy will next appear at youth court on January 5 for trial.

Brave Finn, who was rushed to a vet for emergency medical attention, is said to be on the mend and recovering from his injuries.

PC Wardell, who has had Finn since he was a nine-month-old pup, said: "He's a lot brighter than he was and he's starting to get cheeky, so he's starting to get back to his old self."

Finn, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire dog unit, is currently resting at home and building up his fitness with daily exercise.

Since the attack, a campaign and a petition has launched calling for police dogs and horses to be given the same protection as officers in the UK - with the moniker 'Finn's law', similar to the US Federal Law Enforcement Animal Protection.

The petition has already hit nearly 70,000 signatures.