suffolk: An animal charity in Suffolk is getting a �5,000 boost thanks to the county’s band of loyal police pooches.

About 12,000 people visited the National Police Dog Trials, at Trinity Park on Saturday, April 16, and Sunday, April 17, raising a total of �15,000.

Today the money will be split between three charities, the Complete the Dream Appeal for The Blue Cross in Felixstowe, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Treehouse Appeal and the Safer Suffolk Foundation – with �5,000 awarded to each.

At the event the top police dogs from Suffolk Constabulary joined their colleagues from forces across the UK competing for the coveted title.

Andrew Gillon, manager of The Blue Cross centre, said: “We’re so grateful to Suffolk police and everyone who donated money at the Police Dog Trials. “�5,000 is a phenomenal amount of money and it will give a real boost to the fundraising campaign for our new Blue Cross centre in Suffolk. We’re still looking for volunteers to help us raise the rest of the funds, so please get in touch if you can help.”

Chief Constable Simon Ash said the force was “absolutely delighted” to support the charities. He said: “We were extremely proud to host the National Police Dog Trials and it was a fantastic opportunity for members of our communities to see the fantastic skills that police dogs and their handlers offer to operational policing on a daily basis.

“Speaking on behalf of the Safer Suffolk Foundation, the Constabulary’s charitable arm, I can say that this money will be hugely beneficial in helping us to continue to improve the quality of life for people living and working in Suffolk by supporting grassroots, community based projects.

“We are grateful for everyone’s generosity in helping us raise such a large amount of money.”