A police helicopter swept perilously close to the ground while pursuing a motorbike in Merseyside.
Footage of the chase showed the low-flying helicopter speeding towards a motorbike less than a metre above the road.
The hour-long pursuit was a ‘legitimate policing task in support of public safety’, the National Police Air Service (NPAS) said.
A man was later arrested for dangerous driving, taking a vehicle without consent, driving while disqualified, failing to stop, driving without insurance, and conspiring to cause a public nuisance.
Officers arrested a second suspect for theft of a motor vehicle and assisting an offender.
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NPAS Chief Operating Officer Chief Supt Fiona Gaffney said the short clip did not provide full context of Wednesday’s operation.
She said: ‘At around 2.30pm, our air crew was deployed to assist Merseyside Police after reports of a man riding a scrambler bike dangerously near Carr Mill Dam.
‘The rider mounted pavements, sped through residential areas, and narrowly missed a pedestrian.
‘A second male later joined him on the bike and together they continued to evade police, travelling across roads and fields.
‘Our crew tracked the motorcyclist for over an hour, providing continuous updates to ground officers.’
Chief Supt Gaffney explained that the crew had been attempting to land in a safe location, but decided to abort the landing after the suspect continued to flee, and accelerated in ‘an accepted take-off manoeuvre’.
After internally reviewing the aircraft footage, radio logs, and its operational decision-making, NPAS said it was satisfied that the crew had acted appropriately, carried out a dynamic risk assessment, and operated within all regulations.
It said in a statement: ‘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 to ensure all relevant standards and procedures are upheld. We thank the public for their concern and engagement and we remain committed to transparency and professionalism in all our operations.’
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