A COUNCIL and a police force are linking up to tackle animal cruelty in a region which has the highest number of RSPCA convictions in the UK.
PC Rob King, wildlife officer with Cleveland Police, and Stockton Borough Council animal welfare officer Derek Hall are to work together in what PC King's bosses say is a "unique crime-busting initiative.''
PC King said: "We are setting up a partnership around animal welfare and wildlife crime issues, utilising the expertise of everyone involved - and that can only be of benefit to the public as a whole.
"The council has quite a bit of equipment we can utilise, such as microchip readers. They can call on a vet who is an animal pathologist, one of the best in the country. If we have any tricky cases he will be able to do the business for us.''
Mr Hall, a former RSPCA inspector, said: "We have quite a wide-ranging job. We deal with any animal. We investigate complaints of cruelty and abandonment, and do rescue work, like the RSPCA. Linking up with the police will help us raise the profile of the unit and make more people aware that we are here and can help out."
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