Sheffield girls, 8 and 4, gift treats and bones to police dog who became their 'superhero' after burglary

Two Sheffield girls have said a big thank you to a South Yorkshire Police dog who became their "superhero" after a frightening burglary in their home.

Ayla, aged eight, and Alanna, four, wanted to give 18-month-old police dog Chase a gift of treats and bones, after he became a calming presence for them following the raid at their home.

Chase and his handler, PC Dan Radford, attended multiple burglaries in the Dore and Totley area of Sheffield on September 21, 2023. As they arrived on scene, the panic and fear of a family was particularly harrowing, with a woman begging for help from her window, concerned for her sleeping children.

Officers quickly arrested a 19-year-old man on suspicion of burglary and Chase recovered property believed to have been stolen.

With all the noise and flashing lights, Ayla and Alanna were awoken, frightened and confused, but were calmed by the presence of the young Belgian Malinois police dog who became "a real superhero" for them.

Over the next few days, the girls' mum, Katie, noticed they were unsettled and struggling to sleep at night. In hope of helping them, the girls coloured Chase some pictures and hoped to give him a thank you gift of bones and treats - which led to PC Radford inviting them to South Yorkshire Police's Operational Support Complex, where they met Chase once again.

PC Radford said: "It was a pleasure to see Ayla and Alanna again, this time with smiles on their faces.

"Burglary has a huge mental impact on victims, and especially children who want to feel safe in their own homes and beds. Our efforts in arresting those who pose this unnecessary pain on families remains our priority, and police dogs are a huge asset in achieving that."

157 suspects have been arrested with the help of general-purpose police dogs between January and August 2023. In the same time period, they have also assisted in 431 incidents, 550 fail to stops and 75 public order incidents.