Three teens broke into an Upper Hutt racecourse to find a police patrol dog course that happened to be training there.

Police said the offenders forced entry into the main grandstand at Trentham Racecourse at 1.30pm yesterday and were spotted by a racecourse worker who contacted the nearby Police Dog Training Centre.

Dog training instructor Sergeant Josh Robertson quickly co-ordinated the trainee dog handler teams and the local public safety team to surround the building with the offenders still inside.

Robertson also liaised with the responding dog handler on duty, Constable Logan Menzies.

”The dog-team course attendees cordoned the building quickly which allowed Constable Menzies and dog Hayes to clear the building with the help of the PST (public safety team) staff”, Robertson said.

”This was a great bit of ‘realism’ for our handlers and their dogs - right place, right time.”

They located all three offenders on the third floor where they were arrested without incident.

The youths aged between 15 and 16 were all referred to Youth Aid services.

The Police Patrol Dog Course members will graduate on August 1.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.