police dogs in the region are swapping their rural home for new kennels on an industrial estate.

Durham Constabulary has been given planning permission to move its dog training centre from Harperley Hall, near Crook, to a business site on the outskirts of Spennymoor.

The dog section has been searching for a new base since Harperley's new owners Centrex, the Central Police Training and Development Authority, announced multi-million development plans for the Grade II-listed country mansion.

With no room in the development for the 40 dogs and the search for an alternative site proving difficult, the police training department was forced to appeal to farmers and landowners for help earlier this year.

The search ended yesterday when Sedgefield Borough Council's development control committee agreed to allow a new kennel block and other facilities to be built at Enterprise City.

Charlie Walton, the council's head of planning services, said: "It is prestigious industrial land and the training centre is an ideal use for the site. The decision was unanimous."

Inspector Paul Gee, of the Durham force's training department, said: "Our dog training is regarded as a centre of excellence and the council obviously sees us as an asset to be moving to the area.

"These dogs are very disciplined and are trained when to bark, but if anyone has concerns about noise, we can take them to Harperley Hall to show just how quiet they are.

"It will be all hands to the pump now because we need to move from Harperley Hall by the end of November.

"We are very grateful to Sedgefield Borough Council for helping us to find this location and progress the plans so they were acceptable."