THERESA May invited three NYPD cops onto her plane and posed for a photo to thank them for rescuing 11 of her aides left stranded in a broken down bus in New York on Wednesday.

The PM’s return flight from the UN General Assembly in the Big Apple was delayed by an hour due to the hiccup.

Eleven senior advisors were travelling in a bus in the PM’s motorcade to JFK airport when its gear box packed up.

The bus was stuck blocking two lanes of traffic for about half an hour before a replacement bus was found.

And three police officers in a NYPD squad car escorted them to the airport.

But the PM made them sweat by pretending to set a six-minute deadline to arrive - otherwise she would order the pilot to take off without them.

Her chief of joined in - telling them take-off was imminent.

The top aides - who included deputy national security advisor Christian Turner, head of operations Richard "Tricky” Jackson and her senior spin doctors - were already looking up alternative flights home.

But Mrs May welcomed them onto the plane in person when they arrived nearly an hour later than her - and led a round of applause.

She invited the three NYPD police officers up the steps for a photo.

A Downing Street source said: “New York’s finest rescued the PM’s team from the side of the freeway and got us to the runway for the flight home.

“Just another way to deepen the special relationship, and we’re very grateful for their help.”

The bus broke down while travelling in the fast lane as part of the PM’s motorcade from downtown Manhattan to JFK airport.

Cars were flying by at speeds of more than 40mph. One of the aides said: “It was pretty hairy stuff.”