A SUSPECTED thief has been apprehended following a helicopter search in Burnley this morning.

There were reports of a number of police cars and the police helicopter at the junction of New Road and Woodplumpton Road in the town.

An eyewitness said it looked like police had been searching for two people.

He said: "We saw them bundling someone in the van.

"They had stopped the traffic and we were waiting for about 10 or 15 minutes.

"I think the helicopter was there for about 20 minutes."

A spokesman for the helicopter NPAS Barton said they had carried out a search with the dog unit after a suspect fled across fields following an attempted theft at a farm.

They were detained by police.