The air ambulance which covers Oxfordshire has passed a safety test after a national scare.

An inspection was carried out on Thames Valley and Chiltern’s air ambulance after a fault – which could have caused a fatal crash – was found in a helicopter of the same type.

A crack was found in the rotor hub of a Eurocopter EC125 during a routine maintenance check at a service base in Scotland.

The model is used by emergency services throughout Britain, including Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and safety inspections on Eurocopters are now going on worldwide.

After passing its inspection, Thames Valley and Chiltern’s air ambulance will be flying as normal to emergencies throughout the region.