Police helicopter under review

The police's airborne unit based at Shoreham Airport makes 1,500 flights a year with a trained paramedic on board, acting as an air ambulance in a quarter of those missions.

Now Sussex Police are in talks with Surrey Police, whose sole helicopter is not equipped for medical emergencies, about pooling resources across county boundaries.

The review has raised fears that expanding the range of the helicopter to serve Surrey would stretch resources too far and put lives in jeopardy.

Dr Priscilla Noble-Mathews, who works closely with the unit as a volunteer emergency medic, said: "If they merge with Surrey, there are going to be people who miss out.

"The wider the area a particular service covers, it usually follows that it will be less available for local work."

She said: "Sussex Police helicopter does a fantastic job with the paramedics.

"I can't speak highly enough of them. I'm sure standards will be maintained because they are such an excellent service."

The Sussex helicopter costs 900,000 a year to run, or 1,400 per hour in the air. Capable of 150mph, its crew can reach any point in Sussex within 20 minutes from their base at Shoreham Airport.

Sussex Police Authority spokesman Andy Freeman said every option was on the table, from scrapping the helicopters entirely to leaving them as they are.

He said: "A review like this will take into consideration all options from top to bottom. We're looking at the best way of spending council tax-payers'money." A decision will follow the end of the review next year.

The talks follow the collapse of the government's planned mergers between police forces, which cost Sussex Police 400,000.

The two forces are still in discussions over co-operation in areas including serious crime and terrorism, as well as helicopter units. One option is to move the Sussex Police helicopter from Shoreham to Gatwick.

Next year, emergency helicopter coverage for West Sussex is set to increase, as the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust buys a second 250,000 aircraft to be based between Guildford and Horsham.

The trust's only dedicated air ambulance is based at Maidstone, Kent.