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Old 26th Jan 2012, 07:49
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SilsoeSid

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The Guardian, Thursday 26 January 2012

Minister will use powers for the first time


Police to share national air service
Policing minister will for the first time use powers to direct forces to collaborate, after one force objected to plan


Nick Herbert, the policing minister. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

A national police air service is to be launched to ensure all forces across England and Wales have 24-hour access to a helicopter.

The policing minister, Nick Herbert, has for the first time used powers to direct forces to collaborate with each other to create the service, after one police authority, South Yorkshire, launched a campaign to keep sole use of its helicopter.

The service will have 22 aircraft, mostly helicopters but also some fixed-wing planes, operating from 20 bases across the country.

Herbert, who will announce the move in a speech in London, will say that the collaborative move will save £15m a year out of the current £70m annual bill for keeping police helicopters in the air.

"The plan has the full support of chief constables and will give all forces access to helicopter support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – in contrast to the current system which sees some force helicopters grounded for days at a time while they are being repaired," Herbert said.

He said the plan had the support of all 41 chief constables and the majority of police authorities, and to get the full benefits the whole of the police service in England and Wales had to take part.

"The time for talking about collaboration, and the era of police fiefdoms, is over," Herbert said. "In exceptional cases of last resort, I am prepared to mandate arrangements where a small minority of authorities or forces creates a barrier to more efficient or effective policing."

The order directing South Yorkshire to take part in the national air service is to be made under new powers in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

The decision to set up a national police air service followed a review by Bernard Hogan-Howe when he was chief constable of Merseyside in 2009. It found that in too many cases forces refused to allow their helicopters to be used over the border in a neighbouring force area, even if it was closer to the incident.

South Yorkshire police authority rejected the Home Office's invitation to take part, arguing it would mean the nearest helicopters for them would be based in Derbyshire, Humberside and West Yorkshire.

Charles Perryman its chairman, said last week: "We want a police helicopter to be based in South Yorkshire to maintain an effective and resilient air support for the county."
Police to share national air service | UK news | The Guardian
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