An army sniffer dog has being hailed a hero after she helped save the life of a soldier and then tracked down terrorist bomb makers in Afghanistan.
Springer spaniel Molly was blasted off her feet while on patrol in Helmand province with her handler Lanc Cpl Lee Edwards.
But the courageous pair immediately went into action to help another soldier who had lost three limbs in the blast from the improvised explosive device.
Lance Cpl Edwards, 27, is working with the 101 Military Working Dog Unit after transferring from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancasters (Regt) last year.
He and his sniffer dog Molly were supporting the IED search team on 28th June when the explosion happened.
The pair were just yards away from the blast on a road near Sangin and they were both thrown into the air by the force of the explosion.
Lance Cpl Edwards was virtually deafened he and Molly ran to help stricken comrades who had been seriously injured by the bomb - working under light from a flare.
Lance Cpl Edwards said: "I ran over to him. He was in a really bad way. He had lost three limbs and was losing a lot of blood.
"I applied tourniquets to each of his wounds to stem the blood flow. With the help of field dressings and a blood clotting agent, I managed to stop the bleeding."
The injured soldiers were airlifted form the scene by helicopter but Lee and Molly returned to duty to continue a search for IEDs.
As they continued the search the following day Molly suddenly perked up close to the compound where the explosion had happened the previous day.
Molly led Lance Cpl Edwards to four men who were in the act of making an IED and they were immediately arrested.
He added: "I knew Molly was onto something and I waited for her to show me where the explosive material was.
"She led me to an IED making kit, probably similar if not the same as the one that would have produced the IED that had hit our patrol the day before.
"There were four people with the IED making kit who were arrested immediately and flown out.
"It felt good to know that we were addressing the source of the problem; not just the IEDs themselves.
Lance Cpl Edwards is currently serving with 101 Military Working Dog Unit based in Aldershot.
He joined the unit after transferring from the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancasters (Regt) last year.
Added Lee: "I've always wanted to work with animals and I knew being a dog handler would present a whole new range of challenges.
"I'm very lucky because only about 15 out of 500 who apply get in and Molly is a real gem of a dog.
"Sangin is a particularly challenging place to be posted because of the high number of IEDs planted in and around the town.
"It is very hot weather for her but she is a typical English Springer Spaniel. She loves it and searches ten to the dozen.
"I have to stop sometimes to rest her, because she won’t stop herself!
"She has found loads of IEDs. We're in double figures now and she also helped to detain the four bomb makers.
"The lads love having us both with them on the ground. She is a really vital part of our task force and really is saving lives."
Lee, who has been in the army for eight and a half years, is looking forward to getting home to see his mum and brother in Wigan after his tour of duty.
He added: "I head home in two months and I’m really looking forward to seeing my family and getting down my local pub, The Moon Under the Water in Wigan.
"I still think about the guy who was injured by the IED that day.
"I’d never met him before and I hope that, when I get back home, I might be able to check up on him and see how he’s doing."
Cathy Fitzgerald, Maryland around 2 years, 6 months ago