A “reckless” pair who tried to steal two mopeds in Old Street were arrested all the way out in Essex, after a dramatic chase which saw cops on the ground guided by their colleagues in a helicopter.

Officers initially tried to stop two bikes each carrying a driver and pillion passenger near Kings Cross just after midnight this morning, but they made off.

They were next spotted by the police helicopter using an angle grinder to try to steal motorbikes from a parking bay in Old Street.

Officers in the air directed a team on the ground to the location and the use of a stinger was authorised by the Met’s control command centre.

But the two bandit bikes split up and officers pursued one of them, which drove at 80 miles per hour through a red light.

The bike was followed by officers to a traveller’s site in Essex, where officers were waiting at the entrance.

One man was arrested at the scene while the other who had run away was caught nearby.

The two men, aged 22 and 24, were both arrested for failing to stop, aggravated taking and driving away, and attempted theft of motor vehicle.

Ch Insp David Hay said: “This was an excellent example of collaborative working between officers on the ground and in the air, whose persistence successfully prevented motorbikes being stolen and led to the arrest of two criminals for a series of offences.

“Their reckless behaviour while attempting to escape from police could easily have led to serious injury to someone.

“Moped crime is a priority in the MPS and day in day out traffic officers from my command as well as other units across the Met are relentlessly pursuing offenders with the aim of bringing them to justice.”