A GOVERNMENT minister has confirmed that search and rescue service at Chivenor will be cut to 12 hours a day.

The Ministry of Defence has named the Soteria Consortium as its 'preferred bidder' for the contract to provide a search and rescue service across the UK from 2012.

Quentin Davies, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, told the

Journal

that new contractors will maintain the current minimum standards — and be more efficient than current minimum standards in 97% of cases.

But they will only be required to operate for 12 hours a day at North Devon's Chivenor base rather than the current 24 hours.

The announcement means the next step towards this crucial potential change in cover at Chivenor has been taken, as the Government choose the Soteria to provide a "harmonised" service.

A campaign which began with Ilfracombe Town Council which has been taken up by supporters across the South West and Wales, fears it could put life- threatening constraints on the Chivenor-based service.

Mr Davies confirmed that the contract would include a 12-hour service run from Chivenor, operating from 9am until 9pm.

The MoD and Marine Coastguard Agency, which will still manage the UK service across 12 stations, said the night-time emergencies currently covered by Chivenor could be covered by the Sikorsky S92 helicopters — a new, highly-efficient and faster fleet — several of which would operate from RNAS Culdrose.

Mr Davies said: "The new helicopters will be 30% faster than the current Sea Kings and if you do the maths, it means that an incident currently covered by Chivenor will be covered equally efficiently, if not faster."

But campaign leader Bob Thompson said: "They can peddle the same old myths, but a helicopter on a night-time emergency can't be in two places at once."

The

Journal

put this to the minister who said: "It will be a matter for the contractors, but Culdrose will certainly be operating more than one helicopter."

Mr Thompson, deputy mayor for Ilfracombe said he was "angry and disappointed" by the lack of notice taken by the Government, of the thousands of voices of protest.

A Facebook support group for the campaign to retain a 24-hour service has signed up in excess of 11,000 members, the

Journal

has collected 1,356 coupons and Nick Harvey has signed up thousands more to his online petition.

Mr Thompson said: "On a positive note the campaign has caused disruption in that it has delayed the final contract signing, so we will continue to fight."

North Devon MP Nick Harvey said: "At this stage the details of the contract are still to be thrashed out before a final deal is signed — and that will be towards the end of the year. In the meantime, there is a General Election.

A new Government may be able to climb down from this decision much more quickly and without losing face, than the current minister can."