Daniel Boettcher reports: "He'll be swapping his kennel for a comfortable retirement home"

The German Shepherd was dismissed from Staffordshire Police after he refused to enter a building until the lights were switched on.

Barney had been chasing criminals for more than three years. He was one of 20 dogs on 24 hours call at the Staffordshire force.

As a puppy he had passed stringent courage tests with flying colours. Police believe the four-year-old German Shepherd developed a phobia in the course of action.

'It's a shame to let him go'

The head of Staffordshire's Dog Section, Inspector Steve Doncaster, said he had never come across a case like Barney's before.

The dog had passed tests with flying colours

"It may have occurred due to something Barney has experienced on operational duties which has frightened him," he said.

"It is a shame to let him go but we must consider the welfare of the dog and the safety of its handler," he added.

Barney's phobia revealed itself last month when he was sent to look for a suspected intruder in a golf clubhouse in the Chase area of the county.

"He simply would not venture in until an officer flicked on a light," a police spokesman said.

"Fortunately there was no offender inside anyway."

Rest and relaxation

Getting rid of Barney has not been an easy decision. It takes �5,000 and many months of training to prepare a dog for life on the beat. But dog handlers said that a dog who turns tail when the lights go out just is not up to the job.

Feeling safer with the lights on

Barney can look forward to bit of rest and relaxation after a career involving search-and-rescue, crowd control and tracking down offenders.

He will now swap his police kennel for a retirement home at a nearby country house.