Scene: A Police Squirrel was chasing and videoing an illegally ridden quad bike and a motorcycle across a disused and very dusty coal tip. Both disappeared under a railway bridge and the bike was dumped out of sight (it was stolen). Both riders appeared again at full speed on the quadbike. Rider eventually gave up after the helicopter sat across his bows, matching his speed. He got off the quad bike in disgust. The pilot (me) was asked to land so he could be arrested. As the aircraft approached a low hover, the angry looking rider suddenly ran full tilt at the heli. As his intentions were unknown and he was about to endanger both himself and the aircraft, the pilot went around. As the heli moved away, there was a roar of approval and laughter from the police observers.
On landing back at base, the video tape of the incident showed the bike thief surrounded by a personal mini whirlwind of black coal dust, whipped up by the downwash (a complete fluke as it happened). On reappearing, coughing and choking, he looked as if he had done a full shift down the long-closed coalmine. His white eyes blinked out from a blackened face and he was in no fit state to run any more!
