The site of Commercial’s head office in Cheltenham has been chosen by Gloucestershire constabulary as the ‘ideal location’ for the ongoing training of its tracker dogs. Up to six German shepherds, labradors, springer and cocker spaniels have started training on the premises at night.

“Commercial is the ideal location to train our dogs,” explains PC Ben Hall, who is one of the constabulary’s dog handlers. “The site has a warehouse, offices, and stairways for example, it’s got everything we need. The dogs are being trained to search for people, drugs, firearms or cash, and we are always looking for a real-life environment in which to train them.

“We also like Commercial because it’s in use, so there are plenty of people, food and equipment smells. This means the dogs work harder to find what we’re looking for.”

The dogs are currently being trained at night, and the handlers have been given access to the building whenever they need it. There are plans to train the dogs during the day as well, while the building is populated.

“We are very pleased to provide Gloucestershire constabulary with the premises they need for the ongoing training of their search dogs,” says Arthur Hindmarch, co-founder and chairman of Commercial. “It’s important to us to support our local community in whatever ways we can, and the ongoing training of these dogs is a vital element of local policing.”