A SEARCH helicopter and dozens of officers were scrambled to an East Yorkshire village after a police van and another vehicle collided during a chase.

Four men have been arrested following the incident in Barmby Moor, near Pocklington, at about 3pm yesterday.

Sergeant Pete Rogers, of Pocklington and Wolds Weighton Neighbourhood Policing Team, said a group of men were being followed from the Beverley area after they were suspected of being involved in a theft from a property in the town earlier that day.

The suspects’ white transit van was spotted on the A1079 and traffic police tracked the vehicle to the Barmby Moor area.

During the pursuit the men allegedly smashed their vehicle into a police van near The Green, at Barmby Moor, and then abandoned the vehicle.

The men allegedly separated and ran off on foot, with police officers and police community support officers from Pocklington, Beverley and Howden policing teams, along with a search helicopter, drafted in to help find them.

Sgt Rogers said the men were found with the help of members of the public, allegedly hiding in different locations in the Barmby Moor area, and arrested.

He said “significant damage” had been caused to the side door of the police van – which belonged to the Humberside police force’s dog section unit. A police dog and his handler were in the vehicle at the time of the smash.

“The impact of the smash caused the doors to the police vehicle to be quite badly caved in,” said Sgt Rogers. “It is just very fortunate that no one was injured in the incident.”

The men, all aged in their 20s, were being questioned yesterday and remained in police custody. Sgt Rogers thanked local residents for their help during the search. Anyone with any information about the incident should phone Humberside police on 0845 60 60 222. Crimestoppers can also be phoned anonymously on 0800 555 111.