A SNIFFER dog is going to to use its specialist nose to give a helping paw to teams searching for water leaks.

Snipe the cocker spaniel is being specially trained to be the UK’s first dog to be able to find a leaking water main.

United Utilities, the water company that services Bolton, has recruited the 16-month-year old to pinpoint problem pipes when the water does not show on the surface.

Snipe was a stray rescued in Ireland before being headhunted to begin its training for the water company.

The dog has been going through rigorous training programme to help learn how to recognise tiny traces of chlorine used to disinfect water supplies.

It will then learn how to put this into practice in a live environment, working with United Utilities’ leakage detection teams.

Tap water contains one part of chlorine per million parts water, which should pose no problem to Snipe, because its nose can detect scents at one part per billion.

Hannah Wardle, leakage manager at United Utilities, said: “Tackling leakage is a real priority for us and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to do the job more effectively.

“The North West of England is a notoriously wet region, and sorting the leaks from the puddles especially out in the fields can be real challenge. This is where we hope Snipe will really come into his own, as his sensitive nose can detect mains water at incredibly low concentrations.

”With leakage detection it’s all about building up the evidence using a range of different technologies. We’re trialling the use of satellites and drones to get a bird’s eye view of a particular area, but the devil is in the detail, and pinpointing the exact place to start digging is more difficult than you might think.

“Snipe is going to be an invaluable asset to the team.”

Snipe is being trained by North West-based Ross Stephenson and Luke Jones, both ex-military dog trainers, and said the dog is making good progress.