when I worked at Boreham 15 years ago (before Suffolk ASU) we would venture into Suffolk and Norfolk rarely and on a payment per hour basis, the observers had no local knowledge, the forces had no concept of police aviation. Looks like we're about to turn the clock back even further, I say again (3 years after the last time I said it) losing the aircraft is bad enough, but closing the bases means no fuel options in many of those counties at night which means the far flung aircraft that remain will have to return to their own bases to refuel before accepting a job in one of those unsupported counties.
Might as well just close the lot rather than waste taxpayers cash on huge transit times to get fuel and arrive long after you're needed.