CHUDLEIGH Sports Centre has been chosen as a site for Devon Air Ambulance night-time emergency landings.

Thanks to the efforts and cooperation of Roger Harvey of Chudleigh Football Club, Mike Moyse of the pétanque club and the cricket club’s Wil Sprinkel, an agreement was soon reached as to how the practicalities could be managed.

The floodlighting at the sports centre is activated by the helicopter emergency medical teams, who switch on the lights prior to the arrival of the air ambulance.

The lighting helps the pilot to land and take-off, and helps the paramedics when assessing and loading a patient into the helicopter.

Toby Russell of Devon Air Ambulance Trust said: ‘As we are now flying until midnight every night, we are working across Devon to develop floodlit landing sites to enable us to land when it is dark.

‘The sports centre makes an excellent location for night landing giving us enough clear space and good access to the community.’

Wil Sprinkel, chairman of the sports centre committee, said: ‘Being at the heart of the community, we are delighted to be playing a small part in providing such a valuable community facility.’

Toby Russell went on to say: ‘The funding for the remote switching unit to operate these lights was kindly provided by Chudleigh Town Council and we are very grateful to them, Cllr Underwood and the club for their support in getting this night landing site established.’

Deputy mayor Cllr Mike Underwood was thrilled that the air ambulance can now use the Kate Brook Sports Centre for emergency night time landings where no other site is deemed suitable or safe.

He said: ‘This is another example of Chudleigh organisations working together for the good of the whole and extended community.’