National Police Air Service helicopter aids Nottinghamshire Police officers to track stolen van from Mansfield, to arrest suspects in Newark area and recover vehicle.

A police helicopter helped officers on the ground to recover a stolen van and bring two suspects into custody.

Police were called shortly before 7.30pm on Tuesday (October 7) after a flat-bed van was stolen from a commercial premises in Mansfield.

The vehicle was tracked to the Newark area before a passing helicopter from the National Police Air Service was called in to help locate it.

The van was spotted a short time later, parked up in the Tolney Lane area, before two running suspects were identified from the air.

With help from the helicopter’s powerful thermal imaging camera, officers in a car were able to track them down.

A 21-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy were then arrested on suspicion of theft.

The van was recovered and several items of evidence were taken from the scene.

Detective Inspector James Oakton, said: “We are grateful on this occasion to the crew of the police helicopter for providing a much needed eye-in the sky.

“We are also thankful to the member of the public who first called this in as soon as he noticed something he thought was suspicious.

“Thanks to the excellent description given to our control room, officers were able to successfully coordinate a very effective response.”