Police dogs enjoy Christmas party at London Luton Airport

The six spaniels - Chip, Milo, Laser, Peper, Poppy and Sparky - and six Labradors - Hunter, Quirky, Toby, Charley, Ned and George - each chowed down on Christmas themed dog treats and played festive games in the terminal.

They looked particularly ‘dachshund’ in festive hats.

The dogs are trained in a variety of skills, with some able to search planes, premises and luggage for drugs, guns and money, while others can find explosives.

The dogs are trained to freeze when they detect anything, so they don’t encounter anything potentially harmful.

Clare Armstrong, head of passenger services at LLA, said: “Everyone at LLA loves the police dogs. Not only do they play a vital role in keeping the airport safe, they’re always a talking point with our passengers, so we thought it would be fun to reward them with a Christmas party.”

Police dog handler Andrew Parker from Bedfordshire Police, who heads up the airport dog unit said: “The dogs work hard all year round keeping the airport safe, so it was great to reward them with a few hours of fun in the terminal.

"Passengers and staff love to see the dogs patrolling the airport. As well as offering the public reassurance they are a great way to engage with people and talk to them about important safety information.”