An Army explosives sniffer dog, Theo, who died just hours after his handler Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was killed has been given a posthumous award.

Tasker, 26, was shot by insurgents on March 1 last year while on patrol in Helmand Province with his dog Theo, who died of a seizure shortly after the attack.

The pair, who were said to have been inseparable, detected a record 14 Taliban roadside bombs and weapons caches in five months.

Their role was to provide search and clearance support, uncovering hidden weapons, improvised explosive devices and bomb-making equipment.

Springer spaniel Theo was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, known as the animals' Victoria Cross, at Wellington Barracks, London.

The award is said to be the highest accolade any animal can receive in recognition of devotion to duty in saving human life while serving in military conflict.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, from Tayport in Fife, was posthumously honoured with an MBE in September last year. He served in The Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1st Military Working Dog Regiment.

Theo made the most confirmed operational finds by any arms and explosives search dog in Afghanistan to date.

On one occasion, he is said to have discovered an underground tunnel leading to a room in which insurgents were suspected of making bombs and hiding from coalition forces.