WATCH | A disqualified driver hit 115mph, drove at oncoming traffic, abandoned his car and ran. He has just been jailed for one year. This is footage from the @EssexPoliceUK and @NPAShq showing officers tracking Alan McDonnell, 29, after he fled from an Audi in Dagenham. Roads Policing officers first tried to stop the uninsured vehicle in Basildon. McDonnell did not stop. He reached speeds of up to 115mph, drove towards oncoming traffic, then abandoned the car and ran on foot. NPAS stayed with him from the air, directing ground officers to his location and using thermal imaging to recover a car key he had thrown into nearby bushes. McDonnell was arrested and later admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. Read that again. He was already banned from driving. He still got behind the wheel, pushed an Audi to 115mph, and drove at other road users head on. Any one of those decisions could have killed someone. He has been sentenced to one year in prison and an additional 3 years and 4 months' disqualification. A year. For someone who was already banned and still chose to drive at those speeds into oncoming traffic. During that pursuit, officers and the public were put at serious risk, and NPAS crews did the work that brought it to a safe end. The sentence handed down afterwards does not reflect the danger this man created on those roads. What sentence do you think matches the risk he put other drivers in that day?

🚁 Meet Police Sergeant Kevin Flinn, North Weald Base Manager for @NPAShq. With 26 years in policing, Kevin discusses leadership within the National Police Air Service and the role specialist teams play in supporting officers on the frontline.

From the ground 🐕‍🦺 and from the air... 🚁 Supported by @NPAShq, officers tracked down two men involved in supplying class A drugs in Milton Keynes after they tried to run from police. Nearly £30,000 worth of drugs were seized and both have now been sentenced to prison.

The UK’s National Police Air Service (NPAS) orders two additional Airbus H135 helicopters, bringing the total fleet renewal programme to nine H135s. NPAS currently operates 16 H135 and four H145 helicopters in England and Wales. Read the press release: LINK

A sex offender from #EastMalling who drove at speeds of 85mph in country lanes to evade arrest has been jailed. A pursuit by officers, with the help of @NPAShq led to his swift arrest. More here: kent.police.uk/news/kent/lat… NPAS footage © West Yorkshire Combined Authority

From frontline crews to HQ and senior leaders, Armed Forces experience shapes how NPAS operates. This #ArmedForcesDay, we recognise those who continue to serve in different ways. #NPAS #Veterans #PublicSafety @ArmedForcesDay

One for the aviation lovers @metpoliceuk @NPAShq

🚁 You’ve heard about eyes in the sky, but what about ears in the sky? Whilst helping officers with an incident in Darlington on Saturday, @NPAShq landed at Fishburn Airfield and met up with our good boy T/PD Chief.

The UK’s National Police Air Service (@NPAShq) has been granted funding to buy additional helicopters, in addition to aircraft already on order from @Airbus. aviationweek.com/business-av…

UK police provide details on fleet renewal program helihub.com/2026/04/14/uk-po…

We have delivered the first two H135s to @NPAShq! 🚓🚁🇬🇧 These aircraft mark the start of a fleet modernisation programme to provide enhanced air support across England and Wales. The transition includes H135 familiarisation and specialist mission equipment integration.

RT @metpoliceuk: Well, that’s one way to start 2026! Our officers were out at midnight on New Year’s Eve, pursuing a dangerous suspect. G…

NPAS leaders visited @AirbusHeli production line in Germany as work continues on our next‑gen fleet. The 1st two training aircraft are due at @Airbus UK end of Feb, with familiarisation training planned for early 2026. Read more: npas.police.uk/news/npas-lea… #NPAS #AviationNews

Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to visit @NPASNorthEast alongside @WYP_Cadets. Many thanks to the crew at #NPASCarrGate for allowing the visit. @NPAShq

🕯 Remembering G‑EYEI — 24 Jan 1990 Honouring the police officer who lost their life when helicopter G‑EYEI was lost during severe winter weather over Glasgow. Gone but never forgotten. 🫡 #NeverForgotten #PoliceAviation #PoliceScotland #NPAS #Glasgow @PoliceScotland

Managed to capture the #aurora #northernlights prior to assisting @DyfedPowys tonight. ^JS

🚨 WATCH 🚨 Suspect jumps and gets injured. Officer nearly follows until @NPASSouthEast @NPAShq spot the danger in the dark. Solid teamwork leads to a clean arrest.

NPAS Crew Plays Pivotal Role in Hampshire Constabulary Ram-Raid Arrests The National Police Air Service (@NPAShq) provided crucial aerial support to Hampshire Constabulary (@HantsPolice) at the end of December 2025, leading to the arrest of five suspects following a series of ram-raid thefts in the Southampton area. Responding to reports of multiple offences, the Redhill-based NPAS crew quickly located the suspect vehicle in motion. From above, they delivered real-time updates to ground units as the suspects began discarding stolen items, which were later recovered as evidence. When the vehicle stopped, two suspects were detained immediately. The remaining three fled on foot, triggering an urgent search. Using in-flight recorder replays and descriptions of distinctive clothing, the NPAS crew directed officers to a nearby property where two suspects had entered, resulting in their arrest. The final suspect was located thanks to aerial footage that narrowed the search area, enabling ground officers to detain him. In total, all five suspects were arrested for multiple offences. The officer in the case at Hampshire Constabulary praised the NPAS contribution, stating: “The support from NPAS was brilliant. They provided vital updates and an overview of the incident which allowed us to locate all five suspects and arrest them. “Without NPAS we would have never found the three that decamped from the vehicle. Reviewing the NPAS footage, it’s brilliant how they tracked all three, directing officers in to detain. “A great result all round and we could not have done this without NPAS on scene so quickly and with the eye in the sky. A great team effort and joint working!” This incident underscores the essential role of NPAS in complex investigations, combining advanced technology, expert crews, and seamless teamwork to achieve successful outcomes. According to the NPAS Annual Report for 2024/25 (covering April 2024 to March 2025), NPAS aircraft were deployed over 20,000 times across England and Wales in a single year. This high volume of taskings reflects the service's constant demand, with crews locating 1,376 missing and vulnerable people, assisting in the apprehension of 4,224 criminal suspects, and identifying 1,987 vehicles linked to crime during that period. Almost 90% of attended incidents resulted in a positive outcome.