Here's why a police helicopter was seen above Emsworth, Havant, Eastleigh, Basingstoke and Ringwood
A police helicopter has been in hot demand over locations in Hampshire in the last four days.
A National Police Air Service (NPAS) crew has been deployed on six occasions between November 10 and 13. A NPAS spokesperson said: “NPAS was deployed to support Hampshire Police on six occasions, in Emsworth, Eastleigh, Basingstoke, Ringwood, Havant and Emsworth. These were all for separate incidents.”
As reported, the Havant incident was to help find a missing person who was located on Sunday evening. Now details have emerged of the other incidents the air service crew from Bournemouth helped with across Hampshire.
On November 11 around 4pm in Emsworth the police helicopter helped with a pursuit of a white Ford Fiesta. The vehicle was stopped on Sunnymead Drive but two male occupants fled on foot.
The following day, again in Emsworth, the helicopter was called to assist around 10.30am when it was reported a driver of a white Ford Transit failed to pay for £135 of fuel at Sainsbury’s on Winchester Road, Bishop’s Waltham. NPAS located the vehicle just before 3pm and it was stopped on Southmoor Lane, Havant.
Kyle Hayward, 25, of London Road, Rake, Liss, was charged with driving without a licence, driving without insurance, possession of cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon (a hammer), making off without payment and driving without a valid test certificate. He is due to appear at Portsmouth Magistrates Court on 22 of January
A 25-year-old man from Rake, Liss, was arrested on suspicion of drug driving, and possession of suspected Class A drugs. He has been released under investigation until 12 December.
The helicopter was drafted in again on November 11 around 9pm in Eastleigh to help find a missing person. In Basingstoke on November 12 at around 5pm it also assisted in the search for a missing person.
In Ringwood on November 12 around 5.30pm the crew was deployed after a group of youths were being verbally abusive and threw a drinks bottle at a member of the public in the area of Ringwood High Street.
A spokesperson for NPAS previously said of the Havant missing persons search: “At 6.24pm on Sunday 10 November, a police helicopter crew from NPAS Bournemouth was tasked to support Hampshire Police in a search for a missing person. The search area was in the Havant area. The total flying time was one hour and 13 minutes.”
The spokesperson has since added: “ The missing person wasn’t located during our deployment.”
However, Hampshire police said efforts to find the person were successful. A spokesperson said: “The helicopter was being used in connection with a search for a missing person who was subsequently located later that evening.”