Police helicopter tracks suspect vehicles from Bournemouth to Portsmouth area as four arrested

A police helicopter teamed up with officers on the ground to track two suspect vans from Bournemouth to Fareham and Havant before making four arrests.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS) was seen flying above Bournemouth and Ringwood before travelling over the M27 where it was seen over Fareham, Portsmouth and Havant on Wednesday (July 1) around 9pm.

The incident was sparked after someone was seen putting new number plates on a Ford Transit van in Bournemouth before driving into Hampshire.

The van was spotted by Hampshire officers in convoy with another Ford Transit van travelling east on the M27, leaving at junction 11 for Fareham and Gosport.

A police spokesperson said: “With the assistance of NPAS, one of the vans was stopped at Fareham. The van was confirmed to be stolen from the Bournemouth area the previous evening.

“A 52-year-old woman from Bournemouth was arrested on suspicion of theft of motor vehicle and drug driving, and a 34-year-old man from Bournemouth was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle and possession of Class A drugs.

“The second (van) travelled onto Portsdown Hill and into Havant where it was stopped by officers. A 34-year-old man of no fixed address and 26-year-old man from Havant was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft and possession of a bladed article. All four have been released on police bail.”

A NPAS spokesperson said a police helicopter crew was deployed at 8.41pm from Bournemouth before heading to Hampshire at the request of police to “assist in the search and follow two suspect vehicles”. Total flying time on the task was reported as 40 minutes.