WL,
Thanks for the link to the views of G-SEWP. The damage is pretty severe, for what might have been expected to be a slow speed accident (if you take notice of the sketchy information available). You can see the difference between the generations of helicopter if you compare the damage to the cabin of G-SEWP with the wreck of the Strathclyde police crash.
Just because something is written down does not mean that it necessarily gets complied with. For the avoidance of doubt, I am not referring to this particular case, but to the general principle.