A police drug dog has been hailed for being ”on fire” as it nailed a succession of drug users at T in the Park this summer.
As a succession of drug users rumbled by springer spaniel Buddy’s amazing nose appeared in the dock, the sheriff likened the dog to a top footballer.
When Buddy was credited with a sixth T in the Park bust on Tuesday’s case load, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: ”As a football pundit would say, ‘he was on fire’.”
Tayside Police paid tribute to the two-and-half-year-old, which has become a festival veteran since joining the force as a pup from a family in Dunfermline.
Dog section head Inspector Neil Anderson said: ”Buddy came to Tayside Police in 2010 and was trained in drugs detection. Since his training he has had some significant success and recovered and substantial amount of drugs from within the Tayside area.”
Buddy, with handler Constable Ryan Galloway, was among a team of specially trained dogs working at the entrance to the festival between July 8-10.
In all, 340 people were stopped after the dogs showed an interest in them, with a 70% success rate.
Six of those, all of whom pled guilty to possessing drugs, were dealt with in Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
Depute fiscal John Malpass said they had all ignored drug amnesty bins near the entrance to the Balado site but their hidden stashes were sniffed out by Buddy.
Among them were Fife men Craig Marshall (33), a scaffolder from Ashgrove, Methilhill, who was caught with cannabis resin, cannabis and cocaine, and machine operator James Corcoran (27) Woodriffe, Newburgh, who had cocaine.
They were fined £400 and £200 respectively.
Kevin Hairstanes (33) of Queensbury Street, Dumfries, was fined £200 for having cannabis, cannabis resin, cocaine, ecstasy and BZP and Jamie Pace (24), Almondell Road, Broxburn, had cocaine, for which he was fined £500.
Edinburgh man Neil Darroch (47) of Leith Walk was fined £150 for having ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamine.
Chef David Skiggs (31) McColl Place, Alexandria, had the largest amount of drugs, £850 worth of cocaine, and was fined £1000.
Inspector Anderson said: ”It is excellent to see that Buddy has played an integral part in policing T in the Park and that drugs were removed from the festival.”