Chennai (PTI): The patrol police at the Marina Beach now have a new 'colleague' in the form of a stray dog to keep people from swimming in the sea without knowing the depth.

According to police officials, a stray dog on the beach started barking at people who went swimming deep into the sea, ignoring the warnings of the policemen on duty. "For the past 15 days, the dog has been following us on our beach patrol rounds and has been barking at people who ignore our warning about swimming deep in the sea. One day, the dog jumped into the sea and chased those who were swimming, out onto the shore," police said.

The stray dog, which has been named 'Julie', has been administered vaccine and accompanies the policemen on beach patrol duty.

Anna Square police now intend to identify other stray dogs on the beach and train them drug peddlers and other miscreants on the beach. The police have already identified five such dogs and will soon be training them, sources said.

The beach patrol was introduced to prevent people from drowning in the sea.

In 2007, nearly 1,600 persons drowned in the Marina while going for a swim. Following this, the beach patrol was intensified in the past three months. For the last one month, there has been no cases of people missing or drowning in the Marina, police officials said.