Watch as spectacular boat and helicopter chase unfolds off a Costa del Sol beach

Bathers along the shores of Rincón de la Victoria on the Costa del Sol in Malaga province were treated to a rare spectacle on Sunday when two police boats and a helicopter raced past in hot pursuit of what appeared to be a narco-boat.

Photos and videos quickly surfaced on social media networks of the 'pursuit' on 1 October, which even involved an arrest, but it was nothing more than a police training exercise. The practice-run was part of the force's preparations for the El Pilar day national celebration, which honours the patron saint of the Guardia Civil (Virgen del Pilar) on 12 October.

The police drill was witnessed by the Mayor of Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado, and the local head of the Guardia Civil, Roberto Blanes, as well as hundreds of people along the beaches who rushed from nearby to watch the spectacle from the shore.