Police helicopter base serving three forces is axed and moved to Birmingham

The National Police Air Service, which provides flight support to police forces across the country, confirmed last year it was closing 10 of its 25 bases.

It means the helicopter used to jointly serve Staffordshire Police, West Midlands Police and West Mercia Police will now be based in Birmingham instead of at Halfpenny Green Airport, near Wolverhampton.

The nearest aircraft available will attend requests for assistance instead of individual forces owning and operating their own helicopter. Police helicopters are normally called out to help police find missing people or help in the capture of suspects using thermal-imaging camera which detect body heat while crews direct officers on the ground.

But Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said air support had sometimes been called in for seemingly innocuous incidents.

"I think there was an episode a while ago in the county when the chopper was pulled in to help find a missing pet which clearly is not the best use of a £1,500-an-hour resource," said Mr Ellis.

"I welcome the move to Birmingham because it means local forces will have to better prioritise and make sure air support is used properly and in the most efficient way."

He added that Staffordshire's 'more rural' areas might find police helicopter support may take a 'few minutes longer than normal' but urban areas would not 'feel any difference.'

Superintendent Mick Boyle, head of operational services for Staffordshire Police, said: "The closure of the National Police Air Service bases should have no effect upon the service we deliver to the people of Staffordshire.

"Despite the reduction in the numbers of bases, we will still be able to request assistance from a helicopter crew as and when we need it."

Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, from the National Police Air Service, said: "We need to find further substantial financial savings."