THE rescue of a 71-year-old woman missing on moors above Nelson has again brought attention to the relationship between man and his best friend.

The policeman who helped find the woman in freezing conditions was given a bravery award yesterday. But he says his trusty companion did most of the work. GARY CARTER spoke to PC Simon Harwood about the special bond between him and his canine colleague.

MANY people say they have a special bond between themselves and their animals, but Simon Harwood and Neva (pictured) need to be almost telepathic.

Simon is a PC with Lancashire Police's Accrington-based Eastern Division Dog Handling Squad and Neva is his colleague.

Their relationship was put to the test when, last December, they were called out at midnight in freezing conditions to help find a 71-year-old woman on the moors above Nelson. She had been missing from hospital and she was a diabetic who had not had her insulin.

Simon, 34, said: "It was pitch black and the snow was blowing, making it virtually impossible to see. I had to go down a ravine. When I eventually got there Neva was standing about 20ft away from the woman. I went over to her and found she was alive. She had lost her coat. She had no footwear and her clothes were frozen solid. I put my coat around her and put my hat on her head. I tried to radio for assistance and use my mobile phone to contact someone, but neither worked." Simon tried to carry her but could only go 120 yards. Then he found another officer and together they rescued the woman.

Simon has received the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Award for his bravery. He was given his certificate by Lancashire Evening Telegraph editor Kevin Young, who said at the presentation in Blackburn yesterday: "PC Harwood's outstanding actions clearly saved the life of an elderly woman. It was an outstanding example of a dog handler and his dog salvaging what could have been a fatal situation."

Simon said: "It was Neva that did the work in finding the woman and alerting me -- so I think she deserves something as well. She will be getting some extra biscuits."

Simon has had four-and-a-half-year-old Neva since she was nine months.

She started training when she was 17 months and Simon, who has been a dog handler for 10 years, was with her every step of the way.

Lancashire's police dogs go through a 10-week initial course covering skills such as recovering property, catching criminals and searching for people. Obedience and fitness are other key parts. Training is designed so that both dog and handler can read each other like a book. Simon says he can recognise Neva's behaviour patterns and she can recognise his.

"I really think the relationship between dog and handler is close to telepathic. Neva knows when to stay in her kennel when I'm angry but she also knows when I'm in a good mood," he said. "After we have been out on a job and it has been a success I take Neva out and we have a good play in the fields near home afterwards. She notices the extra attention she is getting and reacts."