For one group of kids in a small village outside London, an afternoon meant to be spent hunting Easter eggs suddenly turned into a thrilling hunt for burglars.
The children and their families had gathered together on Good Friday for an Easter egg hunt in a field in Capel, located in Surrey.
But an intrusion at a building nearby brought a dramatic police helicopter chase right to them, Surrey police said.
With a chopper buzzing overhead and two men suddenly racing across the field, those in the group quickly realized they were witnessing a police pursuit. The kids dropped to the ground and lay out in an arrow-shaped formation to point the authorities the right way.
“The children quickly formed an arrow on the ground in the middle of a plowed field to guide the helicopter in the direction of the fleeing pair,” a statement from police said. “The helicopter crew relayed this information to officers on the ground and a short time later two men were arrested.”
Sgt. Paul Sochon with the National Police Air Service likened it to “an Enid Blyton adventure,” referencing the British author of the popular children’s detective novel series “Secret Seven.”
“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,” Sochon said.
Two men, ages 28 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident. Both were released on bail until May 13 while the investigation continues.