Search highlights helicopter need

Chief Constable Sean Price says the helicopter is "essential"

A search for a missing woman showed the need for a second police helicopter for the North East, a force boss said.

On Monday, Durham and Northumbria agreed to give one year's notice to scrap the helicopter based at Durham, leaving just one in Newcastle.

But when a "frail" woman, 73, got lost on Teesside on Tuesday, the helicopter located her within 70 minutes.

Chief Constable of Cleveland Police Sean Price said it showed the extra helicopter was "vital".

The elderly lady was reported missing from Castle Eden Walkway in Stockton, Middlesbrough.

Despite a search by her husband and officers on the ground she was only spotted walking along the busy A689 after the force's helicopter took to the skies.

'Important resource'

The pilot managed to land the craft and attend to the woman who was in a "confused" state and appeared to have fallen several times.

Ch Cons Price said: "This is an example of how useful the helicopter is in delivering a vital service.

"On this occasion it quickly reunited a particularly vulnerable lady to her husband without her coming to harm."

Cleveland Police Authority and Federation has also criticised the decision to axe one the region's two crime-fighting helicopters and appealed for the decision to be overturned.

But Assistant Chief Constable Michael Banks, of Durham Police, said: "The shared use of one helicopter, on call 24 hours a day, will meet our demands without any significant detrimental impact.

"The air unit still has a vital role to play and provides us with an important resource and a helicopter will still be available to us when we need it."

It was three years ago when the second more modern version of the existing EC135 Eurocopter was unveiled.