Helicopter base closes overnight

Two RAF Search and Rescue helicopters are based at Wattisham

The RAF has suspended overnight search and rescue helicopter operations from a Suffolk airfield for six weeks because of deployments in Afghanistan.

Two RAF Sea Kings at Wattisham usually take off within 15 minutes of a call and reach casualties within an hour.

In September, the BBC found military operations meant the Sea Kings were not always providing round-the-clock cover.

Now the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said there will be no overnight cover from Wattisham for six weeks.

It follows a Freedom of Information request from BBC Look East.

It revealed that over the last two years, around the UK, overnight rescue cover has not been provided on a total of 94 nights.

'Ad-hoc closures'

There are a total of six RAF bases with rescue helicopters. When Wattisham is grounded, cover is provided by Leconfield in Yorkshire - an hour's flying time away.

The government said 24-hour cover from Wattisham will be restored in mid November.

But RAF Leconfield will also be closed overnight later in the year. The night groundings will also be rolled out across the six RAF bases.

However, the MoD hopes to restore all 28 RAF helicopter crews around the UK by next summer.

The MoD said that "ongoing support to operations", along with sickness and injury, had led to "occasional shortfalls" in manning. This had led to the "ad hoc" closures.

The Sea Kings have been used in the Afghanistan war following complaints about shortages of helicopters.

'Do fantastic job'

It says the vast majority of call-outs are during the day.

In an emergency, such as someone being swept out to sea, it is the coastguards who request a Search and Rescue helicopter.

The deployment is made by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-operation Centre at Kinloss in Scotland, which calls out the nearest available helicopter. It can also call on Royal Navy or coastguard aircraft.

Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said: "I appreciate these changes have caused some concern but our Search and Rescue helicopter crews do a fantastic job and that will not change because of these temporary closures.

"It is standard practice that, when a Search and Rescue station is not operating… the adjacent stations are able to respond."

Bury St Edmunds MP David Ruffley, whose constituency includes Wattisham, said he was meeting with the minister next week to discuss the issue.