Police have begun an investigation into how two Metropolitan Police dogs died after they were left locked in an unventilated vehicle in sweltering temperatures outside a south London training centre.
Officers forced their way into the vehicle to find a Belgian Malanois bitch and German Shepherd pup unconscious outside the centre, in Keston, near Bromley on Sunday. Temperatures in the area had reached close to 30 degrees.
Both dogs were rushed to an emergency vet where they subsequently died. The officer, who according to media reports forgot they were in his car, is said to be devastated by the loss.
The police dog handler reportedly threw himself from a colleague’s vehicle after the incident. He was found in Newham, east London, with hand injuries. A police spokesman said he had received medical treatment following the incident.
It was reported that the officer was disciplined over the death of another police dog in 2004.
Last year, a Nottinghamshire police officer was prosecuted after two German shepherds died in his car in similar circumstances. PC Mark Johnson was given a six-month conditional discharge and fined.
"Two dogs have died that shouldn't have, the tragic circumstances of which will be fully and thoroughly investigated," Commander Bob Broadhurst said in a statement.
The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards and the RSPCA are investigating the incident, he said.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been made aware.