A Garda dog which stopped a knife-wielding youth on Dublin Bus three years ago has become the first canine to receive an award for bravery.

Eight-year-old German Shepherd Heskey was recently presented with the award along with his handler, Garda Con O'Donovan.

"I was on the way down Dame Street when a call went out saying there was a serious incident taking place on a Dublin Bus just off Dame Street," O' Donovan said. "I was in the car with the dog and went straight for the bus. The bus was stopped in the traffic, and as soon as I got on I saw that there was a youth who was wielding a knife at all the passengers upstairs demanding they hand over purses and money. He came thundering down the stairs and I confronted him, telling him to either drop the knife or else I would set the dog on him.

"He went to the back of the bus and put his hands up straightaway. This man meant business and the passengers were terrified, but as soon as he saw the dog he backed off."

The man was later arrested and charged at Pearse Street Garda station.

Heskey was donated to the garda dog unit nine years ago by a Dublin family and has since worked with both air support and water units as well as various other operations around the country.

"The dogs used by the gardaí are a major part of our everyday work. They come in helicopters with us, on drugs searches, searches for missing people and a whole variety of different things," said O'Donovan.

"Heskey went through 16 weeks' of intensive training in the beginning and is now one of the most valued members of the dog unit. He has been all over the country working on a whole variety of different investigations with us. It is seldom enough you come across a dog like this."

O'Donovan has worked with the garda dog unit for 13 years and has served as a garda for 28 years.