A SUSPECTED drink driver who fled his car proved no match for police – after one of their dogs found him hiding in a bush.

Motor patrol officers noticed a car being driven erratically in the Whitehead Street area of South Shields shortly before 1am on Tuesday.

When police tried to stop the driver he hit the accelerator and made off, eventually abandoning the car and running off in the area of Tyne Dock.

Officers launched a search operation before police dog Ziva eventually located a man hiding in some shrubbery.

When he was arrested it emerged he was celebrating his birthday.

Chief Inspector Sam Rennison, of Northumbria Police’s Motor Patrols Department, said: “Our cops are very experienced and they can tell when a driver is behaving in a suspicious manner.

“If you think you can get behind the wheel while under in the influence of drink and drugs then you’re fooling no one.

“This particular case was an excellent example of officers using their initiative to take a suspected drink driver off the roads.

“They demonstrated excellent driving skills in their pursuit before PD Ziva used her art of detection to track a suspect down to some shrubbery.

“The man has since been charged and will have his day in court but I hope this response reassures road users across the region.”

The 36-year-old driver has since been charged with driving whilst above the legal alcohol limit and is due to appear before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on July 29.