CONSTABLE Mark Richardson loves his job as a police dog handler - it is what he wanted to do since childhood.

Now, he and his German Shepherd, Mo, have displayed their impressive understanding to a TV audience.

Yesterday (Wednesday, August 26), the pair appeared at 10 pm on Sky 1 in the first of 20 Wednesday night episodes of 'The Force – Manchester'.

The series, a look behind the scenes of Greater Manchester Police, was filmed in April by well-known documentary makers Endemol Shine.

Mark, aged 45, said: “The cameraman was out with another dog handler and they happened to catch the incident we were involved with, and filmed it.”

This genuine event was about how the police boxed in a stolen car with false number plates at a garage. The driver, who was armed, got out and ran.

After receiving Mark’s order 'hold him', Mo chased and caught him as he climbed a fence, and Mark arrested him.

Mo and two retired police dogs live at Mark’s home in Altrincham.

Mark began training Mo, now two and a half, when he was six weeks old.

“Everything is done with love. There is no compulsion. I would never get him to do anything he didn’t want to do.

“He’s a general purpose dog which means we use him for tracking, searching, property searches and public events.”

Mark’s other claim to fame came in 2008 at an infamous game, the 2008 UEFA Cup Final Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg) at Manchester City’s ground when there was crowd trouble. Another of his dogs, German Shepherd, Rebel, bit one of the main instigators.