THE Dyfed-Powys Police helicopter has been saved - with extra cover provided.

The helicopter had faced the axe following the creation of the UK-wide National Police Air Service (NPAS) - a move aimed at saving £15million.

However, the new arrangements - which are expect to save Dyfed-Powys Police more than £300,000 per year - will see a helicopter remain at Pembrey with new cover also being made available from other areas.

Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon and Chief Constable Simon Prince have battled to save the Dyfed-Powys helicopter, citing the "unique challenges" of policing the largest Force area in England and Wales.

The two men have spent months thrashing out a deal with NPAS, which has been created following a review of air support for England and Wales.

Mr Salmon welcomed the news, saying: “I’ve been determined for this police force to improve air cover across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.

“This force covers a huge area - more than half of Wales - and policing locations so far apart brings unique challenges.”

The agreement, due to take effect next year, will see Dyfed-Powys’ own helicopter remain at Pembrey before being replaced at the same airport by an Airbus EC135, which will be owned and maintained by NPAS.

The deal will see air support for Dyfed-Powys drawn from multiple bases: Emergency response will be provided from Pembrey and St Athan, near Cardiff, and the force will also be able to call on support from NPAS helicopters at Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, and Halfpenny Green in Wolverhampton.

The new service is set to cost Dyfed-Powys Police around £890,000 a year. The existing service cost the force around £1.1m in 2013-14 and is budgeted to cost around £1.2m in 2014-15.

Chief Constable Prince said: “The introduction of the NPAS helicopter will allow far greater mobility to the officers of Dyfed-Powys Police and ensure that residents in every corner of the force area will benefit from this improved resource.”

A helicopter takes roughly 12 minutes to search a square mile at a cost of £160 – an operation that would take 12 police officers 454 hours and cost approximately £4,680.

The new arrangements will see seven of Dyfed-Powys’ nine helicopter personnel transfer to NPAS. They will cover Dyfed-Powys but will also fly outside the area.

NPAS, paid for through contributions from all forces in England and Wales, aims to deliver a cost-effective national, borderless service making use of the nearest aircraft and aims to improve upon current response capability.

Its aircraft will be available around the clock and will be based at strategic locations around England and Wales.