'Does anyone miss the horses anymore?'
A case of horses for courses, then, seeing as the job got done in both places. It was pleasing to note that there was a campaign to prevent the loss of the S. Yorks police helicopter under NPAS. Especially as there had been a campaign to stop it from coming in the first place, only a decade or so before.
But it seems there is little, or no scope for the air support budget to be increased to provide two pilot operations, in any form. At least, not in the forseeable future.