Police plan to keep their ’copter flying (From Swindon Advertiser)

Police plan to keep their ’copter flying

4:55pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in News

WILTSHIRE Police Authority says it intends to honour its contract for a joint helicopter and air Ambulance.

Both the police authority and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust were surprised by a speech by Policing Minister Nick Herbert in which he said police forces would be mandated to collaborate in the provision of a national police air service.

The new service will see the number of police helicopters reduced by a third and shared between counties. The plans were originally announced in October 2010 to start operating in April 2012. A police helicopter would serve Wiltshire, Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire and be based at Colerne.

But Wiltshire is in a unique position as it is one of only a few police forces whose helicopter doubles up as an air ambulance. The contract for the joint helicopter runs until December 2014.

The contract is between the police and Great Western Ambulance Service and if either party terminates the contract there is a financial penalty.

Wiltshire Police Authority has agreed in principle to join the national police air service but chairman Christopher Hoare said it intended to honour the existing helicopter contract.

Mr Hoare said: “We currently have contractual arrangements in place with GWAS in relation to the Wiltshire Police helicopter and Wiltshire Air Ambulance. These arrangements are scheduled to run until December 2014 and we would wish to see National Police Aviation Service committing to honour the contract.

“Our current arrangements, working collaboratively with GWAS and the Air Ambulance Trust, work extremely well for the benefit of the Wiltshire public and we would hope that any national scheme can include a similar collaborative arrangement for Wiltshire.”

David Philpott, chief executive of Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust, said: “Like the police authority our default position is that we have a contract until December 2014 and we will be expecting the Government to honour it. Should they decide unilaterally to terminate it sooner it may be the charity will be entitled to substantial compensation.”

The Adver asked the Association of Chief Police Officers, which is leading on NPAS, if Wiltshire Police would be forced to terminate the existing helicopter contract.

In a statement, a spokesman said: “NPAS is working across the country with our partners in air ambulances where these are operated as a joint function with the police service.”