A group of kids having a good old-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt on Good Friday had no idea that they would be involved in one of the most ingenious police chases in Capel, Surrey. Aware of an ongoing robbery and a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter circling overhead, the group of youngsters, together with a few adults, quickly formed a human arrow, quite literally pointing the police toward the direction of the suspects.
The helicopter was deployed from the Redhill base, which was contacted by the Surrey Police after receiving reports of an ongoing burglary at a nearby building located in the area. Once the burglars started running across the field, the youngsters immediately knew what to do.
Ultimately, the quick-thinking actions of the kids saved the police a few valuable seconds to apprehend the suspected robbers. Immediately upon seeing the kids' human arrow, the crew of the police chopper relayed the information to the crew pursuing the robbers on the ground.
It was only a matter of time before the two suspected robbers were apprehended by the police on the ground. The Surrey Police thanked the youngsters for their help.
"I'm sure the last thing the group of daring Capel residents expected when they set out on Friday afternoon was to abandon their Easter egg hunt to assist us in a police search but the initiative they demonstrated proved to be invaluable," Sergeant Paul Sochon said.
"The swift action taken by the group of parents and their children was the sort of thing you would usually associate with an Enid Blyton adventure but their ingenuity proved a great help for our crews," Sochon added, referencing a series of popular children's detective novels.
Apart from being a vital part in the apprehension of two suspected burglars, the kids also received an extra treat in the form of a personal thank you from the officers in the chopper, who landed in a nearby field and shared a few sweets with the children.
"As a thank you for their efforts the NPAS crew landed nearby to thank the children for the role they played in the incident and they even shared a few chocolate treats with the team which was an added bonus after a busy shift," Sochon said.
Two men were arrested in the incident, ages 28 and 17. Both were eventually released on bail until May 13 as the investigation regarding the suspected burglary continues.
Watch the dramatic turn of events here:
