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Died – 2/20/18
Handler – PC Paul Seymour
Derbyshire police dog Nando who helped catch hundreds of criminals dies
He helped catch criminals, saved lives and protected his handler PC Paul Seymour. A Derbyshire police dog who helped catch hundreds of criminals and found many missing people during his amazing career has died. Nando, an Alsatian dog, and his handler Paul Seymour served Derbyshire for over a decade before the pair retired in 2011. PC Seymour said that, on average, his beloved “crew-mate” would help locate 10-12 offenders a month – either by catching them as they fled the scene of their crimes or by flushing them out to waiting police colleagues. In some cases he has also found key pieces of evidence which helped gain convictions. PC Seymour, who was based in Buxton but covered the whole of Derbyshire, also told how his four-legged friend had also saved him on some occasions and helped locate missing people. He said: “I always recall one day when there was just me and two other officers and we had word there was a criminal gang – possibly armed – coming to the area from Manchester. We had to stop their car and we just hoped we would all be okay. “Fortunately it did stop but we could not find any weapon. However, I deployed Nando and he found the gun which had been disposed of down a nearby drain and that was enough to convict them. We both got a Chief Constable’s Commendation award for this, so I was really proud of Nando.”On another occasion we were sent to a Derbyshire town where an old couple had been tied up and robber. Me and Nando went out to track the offenders and we didn’t managed to get them but Nando found a glove which had been discarded. “It turns out the glove contained DNA which led to the conviction of two robbers who had been behind a spate of these type of crimes in the county and they eventually got jailed for 8 or 9 years. “On average he would help in the arrest of at least 10 to 12 criminals a month.” As well as catching the bad guys, Nando had also helped save lives by locating missing people. PC Seymour said: “On one occasion a person had gone missing from an old people’s home after taking too much medication. Nando was sent into the grounds and found them unconscious under a tree – but his quick intervention saved them. “He has also saved my skin on a few occasions – especially a few years ago at a Derby County versus Forest match when things got very heated and I really feared for my safety – Nando protected me.” Nando came from Lancashire Police after his original handler was injured. PC Seymour went to see him in police kennels and took him back to Derbyshire where he spent a month re-training him. They formed a formidable partnership and when PC Seymour retired in 2011 so did his loyal friend and both were able to enjoy taking things a little easier in Wales. Nando died on Tuesday, aged 13 and a half, and PC Seymour said he feels like he has had his “stomach ripped out as I have lost not just a loving pet but a loyal crewmate.”
