Aiding arrests, hunting for missing people and keeping up with stolen cars and even airlifting casualties.

Reporter AMY HIRST finds out all about the £3.1million machine.

THE police helicopter spent 386 hours in the air over Derbyshire last year and helped to arrest 313 people in Derbyshire, track down 148 missing people, found 48 stolen vehicles and airlifted four casualties to hospital.

The helicopter, which is jointly funded by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire forces, costs £527 per hour to fly and the officers working in the unit are quick to praise its usefulness.

Duty pilot Eric Church, said: "There's no typical day in this job, we find ourselves doing all different things.

"We trace missing people, help catch offenders and a lot of people don't realise we help save lives too.

"We are often involved in assisting casualties at night times when air ambulances don't operate."

Eric, 53, said: "Pursuits are where the helicopter really comes into its own.

"As soon as the helicopter's involved, it's game over and, thanks to television shows, offenders know that.

"There's so many advantages, we can travel faster than any car can and we don't have to slow down or negotiate junctions or other traffic and by using the helicopter other road users aren't in as much danger."

Eric added: "There's no two days the same, it's a brilliant job and very rewarding."

Supt Gary Parkin, of Derbyshire Constabulary's operational support, said: "The helicopter is a valuable resource.

"It's equipped with a powerful search light and thermal imaging camera, both of which are key to finding suspects or missing people and footage recorded by the crew is often used as evidence in court."

John Jameson, North Midlands helicopter support unit executive officer, said: "Thanks to the crews, many suspects were apprehended who may have evaded capture if it the helicopter had not attended an incident.

"Sometimes, when the conditions are not suitable for a land ambulance and the police helicopter is close to a scene, it can be used as an air ambulance, saving valuable time when transporting a casualty to
hospital."

In January last year, Derbyshire Constabulary were called after a motorcyclist had come off his bike in the park off George Street, Riddings.

He had broken bones and suspected internal injuries and because of the muddy conditions, it would have been difficult to carry the man to an ambulance.

The police helicopter came to the rescue and got the man safely to the Queen's Medical Centre, in Nottingham.

A normal day for the pilots starts with safety and fuel checks.

Paperwork is next on the agenda and after all the day to day jobs are carried out and the officers are briefed the helicopter is ready to be called out on jobs.


Ready for take-off

The helicopter attended 498 tasks in A Division, the section of Derbyshire police that covers Amber Valley and Erewash in 2009.

It was in the air for 155 hours, 34 direct arrests were made as a result of the aircraft being used and the crew assisted with 67 other arrests.

They helped to locate 147 suspects, helped in the hunt for 38 missing people and located three vulnerable missing people.