THE latest recruit to the North Yorkshire Police has a nose to sniff out human remains.

Mac is a 20-month-old black Labrador, and though initially trained as a gun dog, he will now use his sense of smell to track down bodies.

It can take hundreds of officers a long time to search an area, and even then they can miss what they are looking for. It is hoped that Mac will not only reduce the time it takes to investigate a site but be a more cost effective approach.

His handler, Sergeant Dave James, said: "Mac was on a course for five weeks and is now fully trained to detect decomposing flesh.

"The training involved burying pieces of pork until they were fully decomposed, and then Mac was sent to find them. A dog will search using scent and pork is most like that of human flesh."

Dogs are used in a variety of ways by police, including drug detection. North Yorkshire Police are appealing for German shepherd dogs to train. They want dogs aged between nine months and two years, that are big, bold, playful and inquisitive but not vicious. Anyone who can help is asked to call (01609) 773552.