A former police dog 'feared by criminals' in the county has died.

PD Max died aged nearly 13 having retired from Wiltshire Police in 2019.

The news was shared on Wiltshire Police Dogs’ X account, saying: “Some sad news, retired PD Max has passed away, at nearly 13. 

“He was a fantastic police dog, feared equally by criminals and the training staff! Rest easy big man.”

One person responded: “So sorry to hear this RIP Max thank you for all your service.”

Another called him a “warrior among doggos”, wishing he would “sleep well.”

When he retired, his handler, PC Tracy Doughty, told the Salisbury Journal: “Max has a very strong presence.

"He has been challenging to work with but he's a big softy really, and I’ll miss his ‘verbal opinion’.

"He will remain living with me, and he is already loving being inside on the sofa.

"He’s looked after me, so it’s up to me now to do the same for him.”

It was reported that one of Max’s proudest moments was locating offenders involved in a series of burglaries in Swindon.

He also received two awards where Max’s skills were pivotal to locating a suspect.