POLICE officers from West Midlands Police, accompanied by a police sniffer dog, visited King Edward VI College in Stourbridge this morning as part of a drive to raise awareness about illegal drug use.

Stourbridge Police neighbourhood officers called in at the top college, in Lower High Street, and carried out a spot check with newly-qualified detection dog PD Peanut, a Springador, as part of efforts to educate students on the dangers of drugs.

West Midlands Police said the initiative was organised following concerns from staff at King Edwards VI College about drug dealing going on in the vicinity.

College bosses said the senior leadership team at King Edward’s collaborated with local law enforcement officials and other local colleges to arrange the visit – to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Police later confirmed no drugs were found.

Holly Bembridge, college principal, said: "The safety of our students is our top priority. We were heartened that the passive drug dog showed no interest in our students - beyond wanting a bite of breakfast pasty - but we are not complacent about the need to educate students about this important issue."

Dog handler PC Paul Howes, from the force dog unit, added: “The students were very receptive to Peanut. He’s a friendly dog and people were happy to stop and pat him. But he’s also highly trained and extremely skilled in sniffing out anyone carrying drugs.

"We’ll be putting him to work on regular police patrols, which I hope will both discourage dealers and reassure residents.”

Police said students and young people can often be targeted by drug dealers so officers work with colleges like King Ed's to educate students and help safeguard them.

They said they would be carrying out more patrols around campuses, town centres and other places where young people congregate to deter those in the drug trade.