ESSEX Police sniffer dog Morse has been put down after suffering from a stomach torsion for the second time.
The four-year-old bloodhound, one of two in the Essex Police dog unit, fell ill at his handler's home.
The vet decided that given Morse's medical history it was best to put him down rather than put him through the stress of another operation.
Morse and his canine colleague Sherlock have been involved in several searches in the Epping Forest area, hunting for a teenage boy and successfully sniffing out a patient who wandered off from St Margaret's Hospital, Epping.
Essex Assistant Chief Constable (Operations) Joe Edwards said: "We will all miss Morse who was a dog of great character. This sort of decision is always distressing but was made in the best interest of Morse."
October 24, 2001 8:47
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