Last updated at 16:11, Friday, 15 March 2013

IT looks like one police dog handler served up a winner when he took to Twitter asking if anyone had any spare tennis balls.

As luck would have it, staff at Lakes Leisure in Ulverston had taken delivery of hundreds of balls they could not use when they saw the call for help on the social media site.

They responded by donating 360 tennis balls to the Cumbria Police Dog Unit, much to the delight of the handlers and their canine colleagues.

The dogs are routinely rewarded with a tennis ball for their hard work – meaning the police get through a fair number of them.

Lakes Leisure company secretary Joe Bowe said it was pure coincidence that the request came when it did.

He said: “We had these tennis balls we can’t use but they are ideal for the police service.

“We are glad to help and hopefully it is going to be a long-term arrangement.”

PC Glenn Myerscough said the donation had been gratefully received by the force.

He added: “It is a great help – we use them all the time.”

The balls will be used to help train dogs to track down drugs, firearms and cash, as well as for passivescanning.

PC Myerscough said: “When they indicate on the drugs they are rewarded with a tennis ball.”

Head coach and tennis development officer at the leisure centre, Gary Weatherburn, said he had no idea how he would use the tennis balls when he got them.

They had been opened for use in a raffle, making them no good for playing tennis, but he said the centre never turns down a donation of playing equipment.

He added: “It was such a coincidence. They are not much good for us so it is fantastic we can help a cause like that.”

He said the centre might not have so many spare balls next time but it will be able to pass on a few dozen on a regular basis to keep the hard-working hounds entertained between police assignments.

First published at 15:54, Friday, 15 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk