New police puppy recruits named after World Cup stars

Adorable photos show West Midlands Police’s latest four-legged squad members after the new recruits were born into the force.

The litter of eight Belgian Malinois puppies, with names inspired by the Three Lions team, are only four-and-a-half week old - but will soon be training to tackle suspects and fight crime.

The cute pups have been named - Jude, Nico, Morgan, Rogers, Declan, Saka, Ezri and Jordan.

Inspector Rachel Crump, who heads the force's police dog unit, said: “It’s always an exciting time when the World Cup is on and we wanted to be a part of the feel-good mood too.

“We want our police dogs to be committed, courageous and to show off their abilities, which is something we all hope the England players will be able to do this summer.

“Our new pups have big reputations to live up to, but we’re confident they will progress to become stars themselves in fighting crime and keeping the public safe.”

It's hoped the dogs will become fully operational within the next 18 months.