A group of children on a countryside Easter egg hunt helped a police helicopter locate two suspected burglars by forming a human arrow pointing in the direction of the escaping men.
Around 30 children and adults had been playing the seasonal game in Capel in Surrey when they saw the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter circle above.
A force spokesman said that the helicopter crew relayed this directional information to Surrey Police officers on the ground and two men were arrested shortly after.
NPAS Sergeant Paul Sochon said: "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.
"The swift action taken by the group of parents and their children was the sort of thing you would usually associate with an Enid Blyton adventure but their ingenuity proved a great help for our crews.
"As a thank you for their efforts, the NPAS crew landed nearby to thank the children for the role they played in the incident and they even shared a few chocolate treats with the team, which was an added bonus after a busy shift."
A 28-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of burglary in connection with the incident.
Both men have been released on bail until May 13 pending further inquiries.
