Petition to save Cleveland Police helicopter passes 1,300 signatures

A campaigner trying to keep the police helicopter based at Durham Tees Valley Airport says he’s encouraged by the response to his online petition.

And he believes a meeting with Labour's Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Barry Coppinger was a “positive step in the right direction.”

More than 1,300 people have now signed an online petition, created by James Hind of Stockton on the change.org website, to “Save the Npas Cleveland Police helicopter base at Durham Tees Valley Airport.”

Campaigners believe the decision by the National Police Air Service (Npas) to scrap the base during the 2016/17 financial year, meaning the nearest helicopter would come from Newcastle or Leeds, will prevent incidents being reached quickly enough.

Mr Hind, 31, has now met Mr Coppinger, who has previously defended the decision to shut the base on cost grounds.

Explaining the decision, Mr Coppinger said last month: “At the end of the day we have had to make savings of £18m.

“We are paying £1.4m for the air support at the moment, and I want to negotiate that down quite substantially.

“We can’t afford the subsidies on the current level of air support.”

He added: “We are not losing air support, air support is being reorganised. We will get air support when we need it. We can call on it 24/7.”

Mr Coppinger is an Npas board member and backed the move to shut the Teesside base.

But Mr Hind, a customer service advisor, says he found “some common ground” during his meeting with Mr Coppinger, especially over the speed and extent of government cuts.

And he called Mr Coppinger’s agreement to share the petition at the next Npas board meeting “a positive step in the right direction.”

He said: “It’s early doors but I felt the meeting went well. We did find some common ground and I fully appreciate these cuts come from central government, meaning difficult decisions have to be made.

“But he’s agreed to bring the issue up at the next Npas board meeting and share our petition, which I welcome. He also said he would keep positive dialogue open with us so now at least that avenue is open - we’re talking about it and he will keep us in touch with developments.”

But Mr Hind stressed the petition Mr Coppinger will be presented to Npas wouldn’t be the final document.

“We’re keeping it open - the campaign goes on and we need as many people on board as possible.”