A SENIOR detective helped direct the arrest of a city burglary suspect from a helicopter during an airborne sting after he spotted the wanted man looking out of a car window.

DC Simon Lloyd, based at Worcester Police Station, joined the National Police Air Service, hoping to catch the suspect who was wanted for two burglaries in Warndon in Worcester in October last year.

The suspect had also been wanted for four years for offences in Thames Valley Police force area.

Worcester News: STING: This image shows the view from the police helicopter as the net closed in on a suspect wanted for Warndon burglaries STING: This image shows the view from the police helicopter as the net closed in on a suspect wanted for Warndon burglaries (Image: West Mercia Police)

The suspect is now in custody at Worcester Police Station after a dramatic arrest, with a ground operation guided by the city detective from inside the police helicopter. 

In the joint operation with Thames Valley Police, DI Lloyd of South Worcestershire's proactive burglary team, joined the NPAS in his first trip in a police helicopter (or any helicopter for that matter) on Monday. He travelled to Wokingham in Berkshire by air to trace the suspect, identifying him from 210ft above the ground.

DC Lloyd, who has served with West Mercia Police for 18 years, said the suspect had been wanted for four years by Thames Valley Police but he decided to make use the NPAS after the same individual was suspected of burglaries in Warndon.

He said: "We have put in a lot of work trying to locate him and we organised the assistance of the NPAS, carrying out a flyover of that area of Wokingham, the area we believed him to be living, after acting on intelligence we had received.  There was a vehicle of interest in the scene. 

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"As we were following the vehicle the suspect looked out of the driver's side window and we could see him on the imager. He was aware of the helicopter and was looking out of the driver's side window. Some of the equipment has an incredible zoom."

The suspect drove into the centre of Wokingham and local Thames Valley Police officers made the arrest in Superdrug. DC Lloyd looked on from the air as the suspect was led away in handcuffs, and taken to Loddon Valley Police Station.

He added: "We were just hovering above Superdrug. That was my first time in a police helicopter. It was my first time in any helicopter. This shows we are prepared to go out of the West Mercia Police force area to pursue suspected criminals and shows the lengths we will go to make sure offenders are brought to justice."

DI Dave Knight of Proactive CID for South Worcestershire said the operation showed the willingness of officers to use those resources which were tactically available to reduce burglaries across West Mercia, including in Worcester.