MORE crimes are being fought from the skies than ever before in North Wales.

The region’s police helicopter worked on more than 2,000 “tasks” – including hunting for criminals, searching for missing people and taking surveillance photographs – in the year up to March 13.

New figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show the helicopter’s four pilots clocked up 827 hours flying time between them April 2008 and March 2009. That’s an average of just more than 15 hours flight time a week, at a cost of £1.74m – about £33,400 a week.

But North Wales Police says the public is increasingly seeing that as money well spent by the police.

The number of tasks completed each year has risen steadily, with 1291 tasks done from April 2006 to March 2007, and 1792 tasks done from April 2007 to March 2008.

In 2008/09 the helicopter team did 2084 tasks.

Insp Steven Jones of the force’s air operations said many tasks could be performed on one flight, as the helicopter keeps a watchful eye over a wide area of North Wales, including Wrexham, and can also move quickly across the region.

He said: “The bulk of the work is searching, about 50% and half of that is for people who are vulnerable or missing people.

“The other half of that 50% is searching for people who may be involved in criminal activity.

“There have been a number of occasions where the helicopter has been vital in tracking down vulnerable people.”

About 15% of the helicopter’s task time is taken up with image collection for planning operations and assisting neighbourhood policing.