Police appeal over sniffer dog lost on trail

[roland and meg]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263970/Police-appeal-help-sniffer-dog-lost-trail-vulnerable-person--18-hours-BEFORE-public-appeal-man.html

Police put out an appeal to find a sniffer dog that become lost while looking for a 'vulnerable' missing man 18 hours before issuing one for him, it was revealed today.

Officers rushed out a plea for help to find German Shepherd Kessie on Sunday morning, describing how she had disappeared looking for a 'high risk vulnerable missing person'.

But it was nearly an entire day later before they put out an appeal to find the missing person, 38-year-old Shane Austin, only then including his name and a description of his appearance.

Mr Austin was today still missing today after disappearing from his home in Cannington, Somerset, on Tuesday.

Avon and Somerset Police launched a massive search involving officers, dogs and a police helicopter but it has so far proved fruitless.

It was while sniffer dogs were looking for him in the Great Woods in Over Stowey on Sunday that Kessie went missing.

At 7.47am, less than an hour after the dog disappeared, Avon and Somerset Police issued an appeal and description.

At 8.37am that day another update was sent out saying the mutt had been found and returned to her handler.

But it was a full 18 hours later - at 2.43am on Monday - before the force appealed for help in finding Mr Austin, a father of three.

They described him as a white male, of slim build, with short brown hair, receding at the front, with blue eyes and facial stubble.

They also said he had a pink birthmark on his forehead above his left eye and it was believed he could be carrying a rucksack.

Mr Austin's friends accused officers of being insensitive over the timing of the appeals.

Jo Ward, 43, said friends 'could not believe' that the appeal for the dog had been put out first.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0nnZz6zdb

[Darren]

A bit of 'quality' Daily Heil journalism...

Shame it doesn't actually give the full story.

http://www.sarworld.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=65