SNIFFER dogs Rob and Tweed are ahead the game when it comes to detecting digital devices in South Devon like mobile phones, hard drives and computers.

The Devon and Cornwall Police duo are the UK’s only hired ‘digital storage detection’ dogs. They join the force’s dedicated Drone Squad in another first for the pioneering two counties constabulary.

Tweed, a 19-month-old springer spaniel, and Rob, a 20-month-old black Labrador, are the only dogs outside the US to be trained to weed out digital devices.

Chief Supt Jim Nye, Commander for the Alliance Operations Department, said: ‘This is an historic step for us and policing in the UK. These dogs will give the police a new way to fight the threat of terrorism, paedophiles and fraudsters.’

He added: ‘Tweed and Rob have been used by police at crime scenes and executions of warrants, not just within Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, but across the whole UK.

‘Once again, we have shown that we are prepared to look at new technology and will always strive to get one step ahead to tackle criminality.’

Recently retired Connecticut State Police Dog Instructor and co-founder of the American programme, Mike Real, along with Special Agent Jeffrey Calandra who is the only Digital Detection Dog handler in the FBI, were invited to Devon for a week in March 2016 to train with and assess Tweed and Rob.

Mike Real said: ‘I have every confidence that Tweed and Rob will provide the UK law enforcement community an impressive new tool in the fight against child predators, fraud and terrorism.”

Special Agent Jeffrey Calandra of the FBI commented: ‘In today’s tech-driven world, crime has no state or even country boundaries, so helping our law-enforcement partners around the world develop cutting edge detection capabilities is key to fighting crime and terror.’

Rob and Tweed are part of a trial, and the force will assess the success of the pair and their new skills at the end of the 2017 with a view to extending the initiative.

The dynamic duo live at home with their new full time police dog handlers, PCs Martin King and Jill Curnow.