The Repair Shop viewers 'sobbing' over moving tale of Lockerbie search and rescue dog

The latest episode of the BBC show was an emotional one

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Dominic Chinea is one of the experts on The Repair Shop. (BBC)

The Repair Shop viewers were in floods of tears over the story of a search and rescue dog who died of a tumour after searching for human remains at the Lockerbie bombing crash site.

The latest episode of the BBC series — which sees experts restoring treasured possessions — saw Neil Powell head to the barn with the collar and jacket once worn by his beloved Pepper. The border collie was a search and rescue dog and was one of those taken to the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 after Pan Am 103 exploded above it, killing 270 people.

He and other dogs who worked on the site later died after developing tumours in their noses and windpipes.

Powell was on the show on Wednesday, 15 January, taking Pepper's collar and coat to experts including Dominic Chinea, Suzie Fletcher and Rebecca Bissonnet. He shared that the dog was one of the best search and rescue dogs he'd ever had, saying he had been "so bright".

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He said of working at the crash site: "It left a huge crater there and the search and rescue dogs were all brought in to help search for any survivors. Working in that crater, it was all muddy and horrible and the smell of the aviation fuel was dreadful and it was just like that for four days."

Powell continued: "As a result, Pepper and six other dogs who were in that crater searching for human remains, they all developed tumours in their noses and in their windpipes. We are not sure, was it the aviation fuel or what was it? But they died."

"It was heartbreaking, heartbreaking when Pepper died, it was really awful," he said.

Pepper was a search and rescue dog at the Lockerbie crash site. (BBC screengrab)
Pepper was a search and rescue dog at the Lockerbie crash site. (BBC screengrab)

Powell also shared how Pepper found a suitcase "which turned out to be very significant". "There were scorch marks on it which suggested this has been a bomb," he explained.

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Talking about his dog's other missions, he said that Pepper once found a German boy who had been missing for 36 hours in terrible weather.

The experts worked their magic and restored the jacket and collar, before mounting them on a display plaque. Powell became tearful as he saw the finished result. "That's perfect," he said. "I am overwhelmed by that."

Pepper's collar and jacket were restored. (BBC screengrab)
Pepper's collar and jacket were restored. (BBC screengrab)

Viewers were touched by Pepper's story, with some posting messages on social media saying that it had them in tears.

"Already crying at The Repair Shop," said one on X. "Oh, Pepper," said someone else.

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Another wrote: "The border collie rescue jacket will have me sobbing by the end as I've had a few border collies who looked like brave Pepper." "What is it about dog collars," commented one viewer, adding a crying emoji.

Neil Powell said it was 'heartbreaking' when Pepper died. (BBC screengrab)
Neil Powell said it was 'heartbreaking' when Pepper died. (BBC screengrab)

"Pepper was a hero, no idea of the story about the search dogs," remarked another viewer.

Somebody else added: "Neither did I. Those poor dogs."

The Repair Shop airs on BBC One on Wednesdays.