Police helicopters take off

North West Air Operations Group helicopter based at Warton, Lancashire

A new regional police air operations service will take to the skies across the North West today (Monday 18 July) which will offer the region a flexible, cost-effective, cross-border helicopter fleet.

The North West Air Operations Group is a regional collaboration between five forces and police authorities, and will operate four helicopters. The new service will dispatch the aircraft from a regional command desk to incidents across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and North Wales.

The collaboration will allow for around 11 per cent savings, while offering an improved air support service. Benefits of the new arrangement include the facility to have the closest helicopter deployed quickly to any incident and if there are two incidents in the same force area, then two helicopters can be deployed as necessary.

The new arrangement also prepares the North West for the National Police Air Service, which is set to launch in 2012.

Merseyside Superintendent, Chris Markey, is the regional lead for the North West Air Operations Group and Merseyside Police the lead force for the command and control of the fleet. Merseyside Police Authority is accountable for the finances of the Group.

Superintendent, Chris Markey, said: 'The new arrangement for police helicopters in the North West prepares us for the future of air support nationally, while offering a high-quality, flexible, cross-border service with the ultimate aim of making the North West a better and safer place.'

Chair of North West Joint Committee and Merseyside Police Authority, Councillor Bill Weightman, said: 'The new regional Air Operations Group is a great example of how collaboration between the North West's police authorities and forces can result in both savings and a better service. I very much look forward to sharing with our communities across the North West the successes of our new regional fleet.'