BBC News Online: UK

Safety scare grounds Army helicopters

The Lynx helicopters have been taken out of service because of concerns about their safety.

Manufacturers GKN Westland have recommended that new titanium rotor heads should installed on the aircraft and on 44 of the 59 Lynxes based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset.

The helicopters will be out of action for months and the Ministry of Defence has said it will take at least two years for the entire fleet to be up and running again.

'Duty of care'

The Army said: "The armed forces take their duty of care, not only to their own air crews but to the general public very seriously.

"As a result they have without hesitation followed up on a recommendation from helicopter manufacture GKN Westland to replace a main rotar component on certain identified aircraft in service mainly with the Royal Navy.

"Eight similar lynx aircraft in service with the Army in Northern Ireland have been identified as having a potential problem and have been taken out of service until alterations have been made.

"This will not affect our ability to support the RUC in the province."

The Royal Navy helicopters - which patrol waters around warships - have been withdrawn from use after an investigation into a Lynx operated by the Dutch navy which crashed last year.

The safety scare will leave just 15 operational Lynxes for the Navy's fleet of 20 frigates and destroyers.