A SUSPECTED burglar has been arrested after a police dog was deployed to a report of a break-in and found a man hiding in a bush.

Just before 2am on Wednesday police received a report that a suspicious man was trying to gain entry to a garden shed on Woodlea Gardens in Gosforth, Newcastle.

Emergency services attended the scene and carried out a search of the area in a bid to trace the man.

Dog handler Adam Fegan arrived on scene and deployed police dog Max to try and sniff out the suspected thief.

And after a short search, the five-year-old Dutch herder found a 46-year-old man hiding in bushes on Hollywood Avenue.

He was arrested on suspicion of burglary and possession of illegal substance after being found with a quantity of drugs.

Mr Fegan said: “Max is a fantastic dog and this is yet another success to add to an ever-growing list.

“He absolutely loves to work because he knows that if he finds a suspect he can get his teeth in to his favourite tennis ball.

“I made sure that he got a treat at the end of the shift but really this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the person who called police.

“They saw something that didn’t seem right and picked up the phone to give us a call so we could take immediate action.

“If you see something that is a bit suspicious then please take action so we can take steps to keep our communities safe.”

The 46-year-old man arrested has since been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Anyone who notices anything suspicious is encouraged to contact police on 101.