A POLICE dog handler and his canine colleague from Ashburton have triumphed at this year's regional police dog trials.

Devon & Cornwall Police’s dog section came out top of the pack at the 2026 trials, securing an impressive first, second and third place against strong competition during a three-day event in Cleveland.

And it was the Ashburton duo of Police Constable Luke Barnard and Police Dog Sid who took home third place.

Elsewhere, PC John Warren and PD Albert from Plymouth and PC Noah Tilley and PD Gus from South Molton came first and second respectively.

Hosted by Avon & Somerset Police, the event took place in February and saw highly trained police dog teams from Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Avon & Somerset and South Wales Police tested across a series of demanding scenarios designed to mirror real operational policing.

Across three challenging phases, handlers and their dogs demonstrated the standards required of licensed police dogs, including tracking and property searches, building and open-land searches for suspects, emergency recalls and controlled ‘criminal work’ scenarios such as pursuits, stand-offs and simulated attacks.

PC Barnard and PD Sid received recognition for having the strongest bite during the criminal work phase.

Sergeant Victoria Ritchie from Devon & Cornwall Police Dog Section said: ‘I am incredibly proud of all the handlers and their dogs.

‘The dedication, commitment and professionalism they demonstrate day in, day out is reflected in these results.

‘Competing at regional level can be challenging, working under pressure, in front of judges and peers, in scenarios that don’t always go exactly to plan.

‘Each of our handlers showed resilience, skill and an excellent partnership with their dogs throughout the three days.

‘All three teams delivered outstanding performances across the trials, securing first, second and third place.

‘This is a remarkable achievement and a real testament to the high standards our dog section maintains, both on the trials field and in live operational policing’.

All three Devon & Cornwall teams qualified for the National Police Dog Trials, which will be held in West Yorkshire between May 14 and 16.