A 17-year-old boy was refused bail in court on Tuesday in relation to the wild pursuit which involved the use of a police helicopter.

It all started when police received a call on Sunday night with welfare concerns for a 17-year-old male from Medowie.

Police searched the area that evening before commencing a coordinated search on Monday morning involving a police helicopter and trail bikes.

As police were searching, a car was spotted about 11am speeding along Nelson Bay Road, Williamtown.

Police lost sight of the car, but it was later found by the police helicopter in Salamander Bay, before travelling to Mayfield, Hexham and onto John Renshaw Drive then into Lake Macquarie – passing through suburbs of Awaba, Toronto, Boolaroo and Glendale.

Police started several pursuits which were eventually terminated before officers tried to block the road at Glendale.

But police said the driver was able to avoid the blockage by damaging two cars.

The car then travelled to Raymond Terrace before it crashed into a gate at Medowie, where police arrested the 17-year-old boy.

He was charged with three counts of engaging a police pursuit, breaching bail, breaching an AVO and using an offensive weapon to resist arrest.

The teen was refused bail at Raymond Terrace Children’s Court on Tuesday to appear in court again later this month.