NEWTON Abbot Town Council is joining the campaign against downgrading search and rescue cover provided by RAF Chivenor.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that from 2012 helicopter cover at the RAF search and rescue base near Barnstaple will be cut from 24 hours to 12.

At the full council last week, councillors were unanimous that Chivenor should continue to provide a round-the-clock service.

Cllr Keith Smith said restricting cover to daylight hours was 'a mockery'.

Cllr Ken Lewis pointed out that there was no guarantee that the RAF Culdrose helicopter would be available when it was needed.

Members agreed to write supporting the David and Goliath struggle between Ilfracombe Town Council and the MoD.

Government proposals expected to take effect in two years' time show Chivenor as one of three stations to be downgraded. The move is part of a public finance initiative to bring all the UK's search and rescue services provided by the RAF, Royal Navy and Maritime Coastal Agency, under one body.

Two consortia are in the running with an announcement expected in the near future.

Objectors point out that Chivenor is one of the busiest search and rescue stations in the country, with 262 call-outs last year.

A ministry spokesman said that in future night-time cover would come not only from Culdrose but also from RAF Valley, Anglesey, and the MCA base at Lee-on-Solent.

'This is because the new helicopters will be some 30 per cent faster than the current Sea Kings which will enable valuable reductions in transit times, greater range and endurance and lead to wider and more overlapping operational areas for future SAR flights from each base.'