Behind the scenes with the horses and officers at Wales' only police mounted section

They're a regular fixture at match days in Cardiff and Swansea and can often be spotted out and about on patrol. 

Wales' only Mounted Police Section is now a vital part of South Wales Police's operations and the horses are trained for a wide variety of situations. 

For PC Jody Millin, it has been a lifelong dream of hers to work here.

She told ITV News: "It's definitely something I wanted to do from school age, I wanted to work with horses, so this was an obvious option for me.

"I have been a frontline police officer for 15 years. I came to the mounted section when I was 15 years old on work experience and decided that that's what I wanted to do for a living.

"It took me nine years of frontline policing before I was able to apply for a job...and then three years later I was released from my provision to do my basic mounted course and I've just started in March this year on a year's secondment to the department to bring in the new horse to train for South Wales Police."

The Mounted Section has a number of horses at their stables in Bridgend.

The police horses and their officers are regularly seen out on patrol across South Wales and they are trained to deal with all sorts of situations - from protests to meeting people out and about.

PC Jody Millin said: "One of the biggest things for us is they have to be safe and steady and they have to have a personality where they enjoy seeing the public and they are really laid back because of the nature of the job because of what we have to do."

PC Sadie James has been working in the Mounted Section for 15 years.

PC Sadie James has been a Mounted Section Officer in the police force for the last 15 years and is currently partnered with Police Horse Hamilton who measures at 18 hands high.

PC James said: "Hamilton is such a character and there is a bond that you have with your horse when you're working day in, day out and it just makes your work so much easier.

"Driving down the drive, seeing the horses out in the paddock first of all is a lovely view to come into work and then to work with the animals is a real honour."

The horses and officers go out on patrol every week to different locations.

Being out on patrol with the South Wales Police horses also has its benefits.

"Having done this now for 15 years, I wouldn't want to swap a horse and patrol on foot again.

"I'm not the tallest of officers anyway but being on a horse six foot up in the air, it give us a massive vantage point and I feel a lot safer", PC Sadie James said.