A HAMPSHIRE police dog is back fighting crime after snapping a joint.

With “bags of character and a fighting spirit”, Patch the Springer Spaniel is back on duty and catching criminals.

The five-year-old had to take time off earlier in the year after breaking one of his joints.

He was forced to have surgery and even needed screws and plates fitting.

Despite facing a “long road to recovery”, Patch has been “easing into work”.

During a drugs raid in Totton, he helped locate a stash of cannabis and cash at a property in Compton Road.

A 52-year-old man was later handed a community resolution order following the incident on Saturday, April 17, according to police.

Patch’s dog handler, PC Mark Farley said: “Apparently some Spaniels don’t fuse their bones properly. Over time hairline fractures form, and one day they just give way and snap off the ball at the end.”

The break happened last Boxing Day, and as part of his rehabilitation over the past few months, Patch has been having hydrotherapy - a type of physiotherapy which involves moving and exercising in water.

PC Farley added: “With managing his activity and the right supplements, he’ll have a long career and retirement whenever that comes.”

They live together along with police dog Ernie, also five-years-old.

As previously reported, the Mechelse herder was subjected to a horrific attack in Southampton by criminal Ernest Kujawski.

The police dog “yelped and howled in pain” as he was slammed repeatedly in a door.

He was left with a swollen paw and limping for days.

Kujawski was given a community order for causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. After being found guilty in absence, he was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £123 in compensation.

PC Farley and PD Ernie received a Chief Constable Commendation for “showing courage, resilience and bravery” during the incident in February last year.