BBC: RAF answers coastal rescue doubts
The RAF Sea King helicopters will be withdrawn by 2012
The Ministry of Defence insists lives will not be at risk when it retires its Sea King helicopters in 2012.
RAF Leconfield, near Hull, currently sends a Sea King to help emergency services if people are in trouble in the North Sea, off the Lincs coast. But the fleet will be out of service within seven years - and among the options for the RAF is privatisation.
Officials say the review may allow them to use helicopters with a sole task of rescuing the public.
The MoD said the current system's primary task is to rescue military personnel, with civilian rescue coming second.........
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"Hello, I´ve just seen a helicopter crash"
"Civilian was it"
"Err, army I think"
"Ah, sorry, not in our contract mate, try the fire brigade"....