VIDEO: Airport sniffer dog reunites passengers with lost mobiles

In the video, the uniform-wearing hound is presented with items - from mobiles to headphones and stuffed toys - recovered by KLM's cabin crew.

The items are attached to the dog before it tears through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in search of their rightful owners.

"It's a lot of fun. Personally, I think he's a real asset to the company," says Chantal Kremer, of the airline's ground services department.

"He can really do something no-one else can."

Sandra List, of KLM's Team Lost and Found, added: "Our main goal is to return lost items to the owner as fast as possible. We use social media, and the crew check the plane after every flight - now we have some help!"

Sadly, Sherlock is not a real - or at least, permanent - employee of KLM.

After the video was released last week, the beagle was revealed if not quite as a hoax, then as a symbol of “the active way in which the [lost and found] team will search for owners and unite them with their lost possessions” as the airline puts it.