PC Stephen Hopkins, 42, who was an instructor at the Essex police dog section, said he did not like the idea of striking a dog.

The officer also firmly denied telling a police dog handler to hang a German shepherd over a wall and kick it.

"I don't like the idea of using any type of force on a dog. I would rather give it a reward, like a toy," PC Hopkins told Chelmsford Magistrates Court in Essex.

"When you are working with a police dog you get the best results if the dog is enjoying what he is doing.

"As far as I am aware a dog certainly does not enjoy any type of punishment," he added.

Four accused of cruelty

PC Hopkins is one of four officers, who were all based at the dog section headquarters in Sandon, Essex, accused of cruelty offences under the Protection of Animals Act.

Inspector Graham Curtis, 43, Sergeant Andrew White, 38, PC Kenneth Boorman, 45, and PC Hopkins deny a total of 17 allegations.

PC Hopkins is accused of ordering PC James English to hang a German shepherd named Tazz over a 5ft wooden wall and then kick it.

The accused deny a total of 17 cruelty charges

It is alleged that the dog was hanged from its lead so that it was suspended with all four feet off the ground.

PC Hopkins denied that Tazz, who he said weighed about 95lbs, had been treated in that way.

He also told the court that he had not ordered PC English to strike the dog in any way.

He said PC English had been having problems controlling Tazz. After a series of obedience exercises, the dog had jumped towards its handler's face in a "very aggressive" manner.

PC Hopkins had told PC English to run the dog's lead over a nearby wooden wall, used as a dog high jump, and hold the animal with its front legs off the ground in order to quell the attack.

"I did it for the safety of PC English," he said.

"It is the only time I have ever had to deal with a dog in that way."

Orders 'not cruel'

Asked if he thought that what he had instructed PC English to do was cruel, PC Hopkins replied: "Certainly not."

He denied that a "culture of intimidation" had existed at the dog section headquarters.

"As far as I was concerned we had an open door approach," he said.

"I certainly didn't intimidate anybody. It is not in my nature."

PC Hopkins told the magistrates that he had been a policeman since 1981 and a dog handler since 1985.

He had become a dog handler instructor in 1992 and was qualified to train general purpose dogs, drug search dogs and explosives search dogs.