'Scrapping Dyfed-Powys police helicopter would be a disaster'
Plaid MP Jonathan Edwards has written to Home Secretary, Teresa May, asking her to reconsider a policy which would see the Dyfed-Powys Police helicopter among several to be scrapped.
He wrote the letter after the force's helicopter was forced to transport 14-year-old Luke Somerfield from Cilyrychen Quarry, in Llandybie, to hospital in Swansea, where he died. The Wales Air Ambulance was on call in Monmouthshire during the incident on June 6.
The Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP added removing the force helicopter could lead to "further disastrous consequences".
"The loss of such a young life has knocked the community for six and raises serious questions of the UK Government's decision to rationalise police air support services," Mr Edwards said in his letter.
Police chiefs to fight helicopter axe
They (Police Authority) argue a helicopter is more appropriate and accessible than an plane in covering Dyfed-Powys, which is half the size of Wales and the fourth largest police area in the UK.
A spokesman for the police authority said: "Dyfed-Powys includes over 350 miles of coastline, substantial mountainous terrain and many remote and rural communities.
"We recognise a fixed wing aircraft would be cheaper to operate than the helicopter and would give greater flight time.
"However, it would have a number of weaknesses, including the inability to land at a scene to arrest a person, locate a missing person or deal with a casualty.
"And it also has the inability to transport specialist officers such as firearms, dogs and negotiators."
Dyfed-Powys Police Authority chairman Gwyn Hopkins said losing the helicopter service was not a price worth paying.
If I may refer to my earlier post...
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The Minister this very morning said that it 'simply wasn't true' that lives are being put at risk..."