The moment aircraft pursuit helped police catch suspect after high-speed chase

A 34-year-old man has subsequently been arrested with a string of offences

09:55, 05 Dec 2025

An aeroplane helped Nottinghamshire Police officers catch a suspect after a high-speed chase through the woods.

Officers spotted a Ford Transit van on the M1 on Monday (December 1) and began to follow it based on intelligence they had received.

The van didn't stop and continued to speed away from police[1] through Barlborough towards Worksop[2], before the vehicle was abandoned at Daneshill Lake, near Torworth, after reportedly crashing through two sets of closed, locked gates.

A suspect allegedly left the vehicle and ran through the woodland, whilst the crew of a National Police Air Service (NPAS) aeroplane[3] circled above.

The crew on the fixed-wing aeroplane was able to use a camera to direct officers on the ground to a suspect in a nearby building.

A 34-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion[4] of dangerous driving, failing to stop, and drug driving.

He was also arrested on suspicion of driving without a licence, driving while disqualified, and criminal damage.

PC Abby Mason, of Nottinghamshire Police[5], said: "This was an excellent bit of teamwork between our officers on the ground and an aeroplane crew up in the air.

"Without the assistance from the camera on the aeroplane we may not have caught up with this suspect, so this is a great resource for us to be able to call on.

"We'd also be interested in speaking to the passenger captured in the video[6]."

References

1. ^ police (www.nottinghampost.com)
2. ^ Worksop (www.nottinghampost.com)
3. ^ National Police Air Service (NPAS) aeroplane (www.nottinghampost.com)
4. ^ subsequently arrested on suspicion (www.nottinghampost.com)
5. ^ Nottinghamshire Police (www.nottinghampost.com)
6. ^ in the video (www.nottinghampost.com)