HELICOPTERS were seen circling Oakridge in the early hours of last night to assist police in searching for a man, it has been revealed.

Residents reported seeing helicopters flying over the area for approximately an hour at around 1am on Monday, December 2.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS), deploy helicopters flying at average speeds of 138mph to search large areas to aid police forces across England and Wales.

READ MORE: 27-year-old arrested after escaping custody at hospital

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary confirmed that NPAS was assisting them in searching for a man who had escaped police custody while being escorted at a hospital.

The 27-year-old man has since been arrested following an appeal on November 30, confirmed the police force in a statement provided on Facebook.

The statement said: "Good morning all,

"We recently appealed for information to help us locate a wanted 27-year-old man, who has links to Basingstoke.

"We can confirm that we have made an arrest and a man is in custody. As a result, we no longer require the circulation of the wanted appeal.

"Thank you to everyone who responded to assist our enquiries."