Six-year-old found asleep in dark Devon field by police helicopters

• Watch: Police find six-year-old asleep in Devon field

A missing six-year-old child was found asleep in a Devon field by a police helicopter in the early hours of the morning.

National Police Air Service (NPAS) South West was dispatched to help search for the girl after she was reported missing from a rural area believed to be between Chulmleigh and Umberleigh.

The child was located in the pitch dark by helicopter crews using their infrared camera system.

She was found asleep in a field over a half a mile away from her home.

As a result of the successful operation carried out by several arms of the police force, the young girl was returned safely to her "terrified" parents.

NPAS South West has released a video of the moment that the child was rescued which shows how the infrared camera system located her in pitch black in the field.

An NPAS spokesperson said: “Here is the moment a police helicopter located a missing six-year-old child at night after every parent’s worst nightmare was realised.

“The National Police Air Service operates from a network of 14 bases across England & Wales to support police officers on the ground and help keep our communities safe.

“In this instance, a massive team effort from the police control room, the police officers on the ground and the officers in the air to get this child home safely to her terrified parents.”