An Easter egg hunt took an unusual turn after a group of around 30 adults and children suspended their quest for chocolate to help police find a pair of suspected thieves.

Members of the group formed a giant human arrow in the middle of a ploughed field in Capel, in south-east England, during the egg hunt on March 25, guiding the police helicopter in the direction of where the men were hiding.

The helicopter crew quickly relayed this information to officers on the ground and a short time later two men were arrested, Surrey Police said.

But, it was the story itself which drew close scrutiny after Surrey Police posted the story on their Facebook page on April 1.

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Some Facebook users were suspicious, with Tracey N Poppy Harmer commenting on the post asking if it was "another April Fool".

"No. This actually happened," Surrey Police said in reply to the comment on Saturday.

"We were torn whether to wait until tomorrow to release it [because of the April Fool issue] but it was such a good story we needed to share it."

The clarification did not seem to stem the disbelief, however, with Surrey Police later sharing another post verifying the story's legitimacy.

"We seem to have spent most of the day reassuring people that the "human arrow" story is real (it is!)," they wrote.

The helicopter crew landed nearby after the hunt to thank the children and were treated with a few chocolate treats from the group, which "was an added bonus after a busy shift".

"'I'm sure the last thing the group of daring Capel residents expected when they set out on Friday afternoon was to abandon their Easter egg hunt to assist us in a police search but the initiative they demonstrated proved to be invaluable," NPAS Sergeant Paul Sochon said in the statement.

"The swift action taken by the group of parents and their children was the sort of thing you would usually associate with an Enid Blyton adventure but their ingenuity proved a great help for our crews."

The helicopter had been called by Surrey Police following a report of intruders at a disused building off Horsham Road in Capel, according to the statement.

The two men were arrested on suspicion of burglary following the incident.