Army dog dies after handler was killed

A British army sniffer dog which holds the record for finding the most weapons and homemade bombs in Afghanistan has died shortly after his handler was shot dead.

Theo, a springer spaniel, suffered a seizure after Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was killed by small arms fire while the pair were on patrol in Helmand province.

Three weeks ago the Ministry of Defence heralded the success of Theo who had made 14 finds of IEDS (improvised explosive devices) and weapons caches in just five months in Afghanistan.

L/Cpl Tasker of The Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, had praised the dog for his dedication.

"I love my job and working with Theo. He has a great character and never tires."

In a statement released through the MoD, his family said: "He died a hero doing a job he was immensely passionate about."