A police dog who saved the life of a man having an asthma attack has been honoured for his “exceptional work”.

German shepherd PD Blue and his handler were called to Croxley Green in December last year after the ambulance service received a call from a man in distress.

The man, aged in his 40s, was suffering an asthma attack and had collapsed in woodland near Rousebarn Lane.

Unfortunately his phone battery had died and his exact location was unknown.

Blue was used to search the area and soon his highly trained nose led his handler to the man, who was cold and lying in dense woodland about 15 metres from the nearest path.

The man was immediately given first aid before the ambulance crew arrived. He was then taken to hospital for treatment and thankfully made a full recovery.

The PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) commendation was presented by Chief Superintendent Dales, who said: “I was delighted to present the PDSA commendation to PD Blue and his handler. They richly deserve the award. 

“Thanks to their actions the man was found quickly. If it was not for their assistance the incident may have had a very different outcome.

“All of the BCH Dog Unit’s handlers and dogs are trained for these type of tasks and this is yet another great example of how the team regularly assists colleagues around the three counties at a variety of incidents.”

Gill Hubbard, awards and heritage manager at PDSA, added: “We are thrilled to award Police Dog Blue with the PDSA Commendation. 

“The award recognises acts of animal devotion or bravery. Blue is a very worthy recipient and joins an honoured list of recipients which includes service dogs, family pets and trained assistance dogs.”