National Police Air Service to close Halfpenny Green base
The National Police Air Service which assists West Mercia Police in Shropshire is to close its base at Halfpenny Green Airport.
The service confirmed this morning that the Halfpenny Green base will close as a result of changes to the service following government funding cuts.
Following the closure, the nearest base to Shropshire will be Birmingham as of 1 January 2016.
West Mercia Police, West Midlands Police and Staffordshire Police will continue to share the service from Birmingham following the base closure.
The Accountable Manager for the National Police Air Service, Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, said:
"NPAS needs to find further substantial financial savings with a target of 14% of revenue cuts over the next three years. This is on top of the 23% savings already made.
"Local police forces facing similar savings are looking at how they rationalise their estate and ways of operating and NPAS is no different in this regard.
"There is no easy way of doing this and difficult decisions have to be made. On Thursday, the National Police Air Service Strategic Board therefore decided to move to the 15-base model.
"This move will help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the service and mean that every base supports police forces 24 hours a day. It is a move based on an analysis of potential threat, risk and harm to the public we serve.
"Part of the move will also see four fixed-wing aircraft form part of the fleet. These will be based out of the East Midlands Airport. Fixed-wing aircraft are cheaper to fly than rotary aircraft."
