Police to warn criminals with canine phobia before setting dogs on them... 'to avoid offence'

Being chased by a police dog was never intended to be a pleasant experience.

But now handlers are being extra careful to avoid upsetting criminals' sensibilities by giving them advance warning before dogs are set on them.

Forces across Britain are being instructed to 'avoid offending' sufferers of cynophobia - the clinical name for a fear of canines - or those allergic to dog hair.

The move comes amid fears that suspects whose medical conditions are triggered by dogs may file costly compensation bills against the force which authorised their use during arrests or raids on homes.

But the proposals have met with fury by some serving officers - who branded them 'polite policing' and 'namby pamby'.

The plans were revealed Peter Vaughan, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on dogs, who said: 'The draft guidelines outline a general principle that forces should consider what steps can be taken to avoid offending people during operations.'

Mr Vaughan, a deputy chief constable of South Wales Police, added: 'This might include different categories of people such as those with a fear of dogs, for example or asthma sufferers who may be sensitive to dog hair.'

And PC David Heaps, a dog handling trainer at Derbyshire Constabulary, added: 'We are very mindful not to cause offence.' 

But a sergeant, commenting anonymously on the proposals in respected force magazine Police Review this week, insisted: 'This is more from the 'polite police' 

'The whole point of police dogs is to frighten people rigid, at least those who have just committed a crime and would otherwise make a clean getaway.

'They should have considered the mental trauma and possible allergic reaction of 60 lbs of foaming Alsatian clamping its teeth to their extremities before embarking on their latest criminal escapade.

'The traditional shout of 'stand still or I will set the dog on you' will presumably now have to become 'Excuse me, my police dog is quite hairy and might cause alarm as he sinks his fangs into your right thigh - is that all right with you?''

A serving dog handler, who asked not to be named, added: 'I have never heard anything so ridiculous.  

'What's next? Sparing people custody because they have a fear of enclosed spaces?

'This is just another example of namby pamby policing laid down by people who haven't been on the beat in years.'