A spirited dog which was living at an animal welfare centre is now being trained to sniff out cancer.

Casper, a two-year-old spaniel, was a resident at The Blue Cross centre in Burford, Oxfordshire, for three months but failed to find a new home because of his boundless energy.

But when scientists from Cancer and Bio-detection Dogs, a medical charity based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, spotted him, they adopted the dog who had the "perfect temperament" for their project.

Casper is now being taught to recognise the scent of cancer in urine samples. Claire Guest, chief executive of Cancer and Bio-detection Dogs, said: "So far, it's early days, but Casper is showing all the right signs."

Casper is expected to complete his training within four months.