Christchurch police have confirmed to chrislynchmedia.com a commercial helicopter was deployed across the city today.

Tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft circling over Casebrook, Edgeware, and Parklands during the afternoon.

The deployment follows a request from police, as first reported by Chris Lynch Media, for the public’s help to locate a stolen red Subaru, registration WARP9x, taken from outside a rest home on Harewood Road early this morning.

The vehicle was caught on dashcam on Travis Road, illegally overtaking another car and narrowly missing several school children.

It was also involved in a petrol drive-off and later sighted in Burnside dangerous driving.

On Wednesday night a police spokeswoman told chrislynchmedia.com, “a commercial helicopter is being utilised by police in order to make enquiries in the Christchurch area.”

Police did not confirm the reason for the helicopter’s use, but it is understood to be linked to the offenders of the stolen Subaru.

Earlier, police urged anyone with information about the vehicle or footage of its movements to contact them via 105, quoting event number P063688330.