Man charged over injured police dog

A man has been charged with causing suffering to a police dog after the dog's head was slammed in a door.

Police were in Edgware, north London, searching for lost property when a man is said to have emerged from bushes and ignored officers' calls for him to stop.

He ran to a nearby house, chased by police dog Zinzan, and his handler. As Zinzan tried to enter, the door was repeatedly slammed on the dog's head and neck, leaving the animal screaming in pain.

Officers fought to force open the door and Zinzan was able to escape. He was taken to a vet for treatment but the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.

Lukasz Sklepkowski, 28, of no fixed abode, has been charged with causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act and was due to appear at Brent Magistrates' Court today.

PA