Now's your chance to meet police dog Cooper - Staffordshire Police's first ever Staffordshire Bull Terrier - along with his canine colleagues.

The force is opening its doors to give people the opportunity to see how they work and to meet officers and staff who protect communities across Staffordshire.

This year's annual Open Day will be at the headquarters on Weston Road, Stafford, between 11am and 4pm on Sunday, June 3.

Cooper with Archie and Barry
Cooper with Archie and Barry

There will be hourly demonstrations showing the exciting elements of policing, including:

  • Joint service demonstrations with our local fire and ambulance services, showing how we work together to rescue people trapped in cars.
  • A chance to see how our trained police dogs search for drugs and guns and catch the baddies.
  • We'll show you that no door is a barrier to the fighting of crime. Using a variety of techniques, including our newest addition – the chainsaw, we will demonstrate how we rapidly get past any door.
  • Lots of other live police activities including public order demonstrations, our police car experience, forensic science stalls, dress up stands, wildlife police and stalls from local community agencies who support local crime initiatives and victims of crime will be there for you to enjoy too.

Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said: "I'm really looking forward to opening our doors to the public on 3 June to give them a taste of what we do.

"Our Open Day is something we look forward to every year as we believe that police forces work better when they have a positive relationship with the public they serve.

Cooper looks happy about passing his training!
Cooper looks happy about passing his training!

"I hope this annual event helps to build trust and offers reassurance about the quality service we provide. There will be lots of officers, of both the human and dog variety, for you to meet and grab a selfie with, so please bring your family down and have a fun and informative day with us."

Event organiser, Chief Inspector Tony Lungrin, said: "Last year's Open Day saw over 10,000 people turn up and we expect even more in our fifth year.

"My team have been meticulously planning the event to offer lots of exciting activities whilst not disrupting our ability to police the county of Staffordshire 24/7.

"This is a great opportunity to learn more about your local policing team, so I'd encourage everyone to come and visit us and have a great day out."

More info, including a map, timetable and parking details are available at www.staffordshire.police.uk/openday .