THE EFFORTS of pupils at Redhill school to bring in a new law to protect service animals has led to their teacher being selected for a special political scheme.

Vicky Brown, Deputy Headteacher at Redhill Preparatory School, has been selected to attend the UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador Programme at Westminster following her work with her pupils on Finn’s Law.

Vicky will be attending a three day training event in Parliament where she will have the opportunity to question the House of Commons Speaker and the Lord Speaker as well as hearing from parliamentarians of all parties about their work.

Following this course, Vicky will go on to become a UK Parliament Teacher Ambassador for Parliament’s Education and Engagement Service and will train her pupils and colleagues about the role of the UK Parliament.

Last year, Vicky and her year three and four pupils took part in a national campaign to introduce a new law to give legal protection to service animals working with the police and other uniformed services.

The class heard from PC Dave Wardell about his canine partner, PD Finn, who put his life on the line when PC Wardell was threatened with a knife.

In October 2016, German shepherd Finn was stabbed in the chest with a 10-inch knife in the line of duty while he and PC Wardell were chasing a teenage suspect through the streets of Stevenage.

Finn also suffered stab wounds to his head, and PC Wardell was stabbed in the hand.

When the teenager was brought to court, he was charged with possession of a knife, as well as a BB gun, and for stabbing PC Wardell.

But the only way the then-16-year-old could be tried for stabbing Finn was a criminal damage charge, something which did not sit right with PC Wardell.

The officer has written a book about his and Finn’s recovery entitled Fabulous Finn.