MEET Red Four – a hound named after a hero, who will be helping heroes.

Red Four is one of six pedigree puppies recruited for charity Hounds for Heroes and has been named after Flt Lt Jon Egging, who was killed when his Red Arrow Hawk jet crashed near Bournemouth Airport shortly after a display at August’s Air Festival.

The golden retriever is being trained as an assistance dog for injured and disabled men and women from both the armed forces and emergency services.

Hounds for Heroes was set up last year by former sailor Allen Parton, who spent five years in hospital and lost his memory after a crash during the 1991 Gulf War.

As reported in the Daily Echo earlier this month Allen visited Bournemouth to receive £7,000 raised by selling charity wristbands with this year’s Bournemouth Air Festival brochure.

The money will go towards helping to train Red Four and five other puppies.

“I spent five years being treated at Headley Court,” Mr Parton told the Echo at the cheque presentation earlier this month. “It was the dog coming into my life that changed everything.”

Each of the trainee dogs is being cared for by a ‘puppy parent’, a volunteer who attends training classes and practices with the dog at home.

After 14 months of being taught, the dogs will have completed their basic training and will go to classes five days a week before they are introduced to their new owners.