New force helicopter takes to sky

The new helicopter features automatic number plate recognition

The new Suffolk Police helicopter will be operational from Monday, replacing the previous aircraft which had been in service for nine years.

The new EC135 aircraft is fitted with technology to help the flight crew find offenders, missing people, suspicious vehicles and recover stolen property.

The previous helicopter attended 12,440 incidents, took part in 1,070 arrests and helped locate 325 missing people.

It also helped in the recovery of property worth £4,850,010.

The new helicopter is fitted with high-definition daylight and thermal imaging camera systems and automatic number plate recognition.