A POLICE Federation representative has expressed concern about how air support in Oxfordshire will be affected by a national police service.

There are currently two helicopters serving the Thames Valley, with one based at RAF Benson and the other at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire.

The Thames Valley force, part of the Chiltern Air Support consortium, was due to join the National Police Air Service next July, but this has now been brought forward to October 1, leaving one helicopter based at RAF Benson.

Andrew Viney, secretary of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “We want to see a quality service from our National Police Air Service (NPAS). What we don’t want to see is a deterioration to any of the service we have currently got.”

Hampshire Chief Constable Alex Marshall is coordinating the new service and said under the new arrangement helicopters would not be restricted by boundaries and that there would be an improved service.

Mr Marshall said the service would be better organised, saving about 20 per cent of the total cost.

Thames Valley Police spokesman Adam Fisher said: “For many years national police air operations have had access to Home Office grant funding to specifically support police air support infrastructure costs.

“This has been increased by £6m to £10m to facilitate the move to NPAS.

“Nationally, the move to NPAS will save forces in total up to £15m annually.”