POLICE air cover will soon be available 24/7 it was announced today, but with the loss of the existing dedicated Dyfed-Powys force helicopter.

The Dyfed-Powys area is to be served by several National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopters along with – in due course – police aeroplanes, Dyfed Powys Police Commissioner Christopher Salmon said today.

There have been fears for what this will mean for response times and the existing air base at Pembrey, in Camarthenshire.

Mr Salmon said that under the new agreement Pembrey will remain as an NPAS forward operating base 'for the time being'.

The new arrangements will cost local taxpayers £890,000 a year from January – around £275,000 less than in 2014-15, the commissioner said.

The current Dyfed-Powys Police air service operates for around 12 hours a day with one helicopter.

The changed arrangements come as the local service transfers from Dyfed-Powys Police to NPAS - a move all forces in England and Wales must make, the commissioner says, and following 'tough negotiations'.

Mr Salmon said: “I’m pleased we’ve been able to secure this deal. I believe the agreement strikes a sensible compromise between service, cost and endurance over the entire force area.

“Joining NPAS brings access to 24-hour cover, reduced costs and greater reliability; no longer will we have repair bills and maintenance down-time.

“We had no choice but to join NPAS and the nature of negotiation means we haven’t got everything we wanted - but this is the best possible deal for Dyfed-Powys.”

Chief Constable Simon Prince is due to discuss details of the plans with local politicians this Friday.

NPAS accountable manager, Chief Superintendent Ian Whitehouse, said:“We have robust mechanisms in place to ensure that we will improve upon the current service and I am absolutely certain that given the borderless tasking that we operate there will be a significant improvement in air support coverage in the region.”

But the loss of the dedicated Dyfed-Powys police helicopter, and today's announcement, has not gone down well with the region's Plaid Cymru politicians who have pulled out of Friday's meeting with police when they were due to hear about the plans. They said the police commissioner had prempted the meeting by making his announcement today.

They say they are dismayed by the loss of the local helicopter and say the new arrangements will mean the loss of Pembrey, leading to longer response times for most areas.

Elin Jones, Plaid Cymru AM for Ceredigion, said: “Dyfed Powys is a large, rural force.

"The dedicated police helicopter based in the region plays a key support role to the work of police on the ground.

“It’s been made clear to me in previous briefings with the police that the changes will mean response times to Aberystwyth, for instance, almost doubling from 18 to 30 minutes.

"Also, there are major concerns about sharing this resource, and whether Dyfed Powys will be able to call on air support if needed.”

Regional AM for Mid and West Wales, Simon Thomas AM, said: “The Commissioner’s decision is completely unjustifiable.

"A dedicated police helicopter is vital to maintain a service across such a large area as Pembrokeshire, Powys, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. 

“It’s clear that no meaningful changes have been made to the original proposal to centralise the service and lose the asset from the Dyfed-Powys area.

"The helicopter has been paid for by taxpayers in Dyfed Powys; it’s a scandal that it will be transferred and possibly sold off.

“What's the point of a police commissioner if they aren’t going to stand up and defend the wishes of the people they ‎represent?”