A police helicopter pilot who was seen flying extremely close to the ground as it chased after a man on a ‘stolen’ scrambler bike ‘did nothing wrong’, an investigation has concluded.
Footage shared on social media showed the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter dramatically pursuing a motorcyclist through fields near Carr Mill Dam in Merseyside on August 13.
Merseyside Police said the bike was being driven in an ‘extremely dangerous’ manner, with the rider allegedly speeding, mounting pavements and nearly hitting a pedestrian.
A second man reportedly joined the rider on the bike as they fled officers along the A580 and through fields near a dam.
He later dismounted and was detained by officers on the ground, before the rider himself was arrested after running out of fuel. The bike was also seized.
The NPAS helped police by tracking the motorcycle for more than an hour, continually updating officers on the ground.
At one stage, the helicopter pilot had intended to land, but as the biker fled this was aborted and the aircraft sped up before climbing again.
While the pilot was spotted flying at an extremely low altitude, an internal review has found the NPAS was ‘satisfied that the crew acted appropriately’.
Chief Superintendent Fiona Gaffney, of the NPAS, said: ‘This was a legitimate policing task in support of public safety and crime prevention. Once in a safe location, the crew recorded the decision to lower altitude with the intention of landing.
‘As the motorcyclist continued to make off, the landing was discontinued and the aircraft accelerated before climbing away. This is an accepted take-off manoeuvre.’
She added: ‘Following a full internal review of the aircraft footage, radio comms and operational decisions, we’re satisfied the crew acted appropriately and within regulations.’
Footage of the chase shared on TikTok showed the bike being closely followed by the helicopter through a field before it disappeared behind some trees.
CS Gaffney added: ‘The fast-paced and unpredictable nature of vehicle pursuits can require crews to make rapid decisions to ensure public safety. We have robust procedures in place to support these decisions and safety remains our highest priority. We continue to work closely with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure all relevant standards and procedures are upheld.’
A 33-year-old man from Rainford was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle that had been taken without the owner’s consent, driving while disqualified, failing to stop, using a motor vehicle on a road or public place without third-party insurance and conspiring to intentionally or recklessly cause a public nuisance.
And a 32-year-old man from St Helens was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and assisting an offender.
Detective Inspector Jimmy Rotheram said: ‘This scrambler bike was ridden in an extremely dangerous manner and the rider only stopped when it ran out of petrol.
‘At one point, it was reported that the rider narrowly missed a pedestrian. This illustrates how reckless these riders can be when they use illegal e-bikes, e-scooters and scrambler bikes in our communities.
‘Thankfully we were able to arrest two men in connection with this incident and the bike has been seized. This is a fantastic result and I hope it reassures the community that we take this issue extremely seriously.’
Helicopters are regularly used by police forces across the country, but may soon be replaced by cheaper high-tech alternatives.
One unmanned helicopter being trialled by the NPAS is capable of flying at a maximum height of 18,000ft, soaring through the air at 115mph and is able to stay airborne for up to six hours.
Police say is it ‘not possible’ to say how much one uncrewed aircraft costs, but the scheme is being funded by all police forces in England and Wales and the Home Office.
The NPAS said that the unmanned helicopter, a Schiebel Camcopter S-100, is larger than existing drones used by police forces and has a greater range.
‘The type of aircraft we will be trialling is much larger, with the ability to carry similar mission equipment to a current police helicopter,’ a spokesman said earlier this month.
‘It will be able to fly beyond the sight of the controller.’
