Helicopter and dog in police chase

Two men were arrested after police pursued a stolen Range Rover on the A23 at about 2am today, police said on Twitter.

Police were alerted to a black Range Rover travelling south on the A23 near Gatwick Airport, reported stolen from Battersea, South London.

The driver became aware of a following police patrol and set off at high speed, using various roads, including the A2300 and the A272, in a bid to throw off his pursuers, police say.

A National Police Air Service helicopter attended and tracked the vehicle back to the A23, heading south towards Pyecombe.

There the vehicle it was abandoned by its driver and a passenger who both ran off on foot, police say.

The National Police Air Service at Redhill said on Twitter that the vehicle ‘crashed’ and the driver ‘decamped across open countryside’ at Pyecombe.

Officers quickly detained the passenger but the driver continued into countryside near Poynings.

He was tracked by the helicopter and shortly before 3am was seized by a police dog and handler.

Two men, both aged 18 and both from Brighton, have been arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, according to police. Both currently remain in police custody.

Sussex Police tweeted an image of one of their cars, which they say sustained some damage in the incident.

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