A FOUR-legged friend with a nose for newts is helping Wessex Water sniff out protected species before new pipes are put in the ground.

Wessex is the first utility company in the UK to have an in-house great crested newt detection dog, owned and trained by ecologist Nikki Glover.

Three-year-old springer spaniel Freya has been trained to spot the nocturnal amphibians, with the law making it an offence to damage or destroy their environment without a licence.

Training involves hiding a great crested newt in a breathable container.

When Freya locates the newt, she indicates in a non-invasive manner to earn the reward of a tennis ball or treat.

Nikki said: "The Wessex Water region is a stronghold for great crested newts and we come across them when carrying out construction works.

"If works are within 250 metres of breeding ponds and we are likely to cause an offence under the legislation, we must apply for a licence from Natural England.

"We would then be required to fence off the construction area and carry out pitfall trapping - (buckets sunk into the ground) - which could take around 30 days to complete.

"Having a great crested newt detection dog within a utility company is a massive benefit because they can find the newts more efficiently and effectively, and it’s a non-invasive method."

Nikki has a licence allowing her to keep four great crested newts in temporary captivity from July to October to help train Freya.

She has had professional training from Louise Wilson, founder and director of Conservation K9 Consultancy, who has 15 years’ experience in the detection dog industry and was the first person to train a great crested newt detection dog.

Louise said: "You can see how much Freya enjoys her work and the bond she has with Nikki is absolutely vital.

"We’ve never worked with a water company before and it’s been really rewarding. I think it’s a brilliant idea."