Tributes to Nelson the Fire Dog

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service says it is very sad to report that Nelson, its Fire Investigation Dog, has passed away after a short illness.

It says Nelson, a seven and a half year old springer spaniel, was an invaluable member of the team for the past six years.

Nelson was trained to sniff out the smallest and most sensitive of smells and, with a nose thousands of times more sensitive than a human nose, was able to sniff them out with ease. Nelson was rewarded every time he found an offending object or smell which meant he saw his job as a game and was always very happy to work.

Nelson lived with his handler Watch Manager Mark Smith and his family, who trained and cared for Nelson.

In his fire investigation role Nelson worked with fire and rescue services inside and outside Cornwall to help identify the cause of fires, particularly arson.

You can see him in action from our report in April 2013.

Nelson has helped identify cases of arson in support of both Fire and Police investigations, helping to lead to the conviction of those responsible.

He also helped school children learn about fire safety and was was one of the first fire dogs to have his own presence on social media, with his Twitter account delivering fire safety messages to almost 4,000 followers.

Here's his last tweet:

Nelson has left an important legacy. He has played a key role in the training of Archie who will be taking on his role early next year