The handler of a new sniffer dog at Stansted Airport says it will now be tougher for smugglers to hand-carry drugs through customs.

Baxter the springer spaniel is the first of a new generation of dogs trained to sniff people as well as bags.

Until now, the canine drug spotters have only worked "behind the scenes" at the north Essex terminal, but Baxter's special training means he can patrol in public.

His handler Ian Smith-Hughes said: "He's trained to indicate by staring at the drug source for us, as opposed to digging and scratching."

"That's why we can use him around people."

Baxter's nose is 1000 times more sensitive to odours than a human being's.

The new dog is also used in the conventional way - to find drugs secreted in baggage, freight and postal mail.

Baxter belongs to Customs and Excise.