POLICE will not change their policy after officers scrambled a helicopter to follow a family for ‘stealing’ twigs from an Oxfordshire woodland.

Gareth Pope, his wife and twin daughters were followed by the Thames Valley Police helicopter after an argument with a nature reserve warden at Chinnor Hill, near Thame.

He called police after spotting the family leaving with six carrier bags of twigs for their fire. Two police cars were also sent out on Monday.

Mr Pope, 41, from Stratton Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, pictured with wife Kirsty and twins Aspen, left, and Kali said: “The warden ruined an innocent family’s afternoon.

“He was responsible for wasting public money and should be made to pay it back.”

It cost £350 to send out the helicopter, which was airborne for 40 minutes.

Speaking of the moment he saw the helicopter hovering above his home, Mr Pope said: “I thought, surely it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s just happened. The next minute two policemen turned up. The first thing they said was “Where’s the wood?”

Police found no offences had been committed.

Doug Mackay, Chiltern Air Support Unit executive officer, said the helicopter was dispatched as there was “a concern for the safety of those involved” and it was believed a crime was in progress.

Police spokesman Craig Evry said: “There are no plans to change the policy on what incidents the unit attends.”