Super Pumas: 'It's time they were retired'

Workers in the oil industry have told the Radio 4's Today programme that they have concerns about the use of Super Puma helicopters in the North Sea, following the crash that killed four people.

The fleet of Super Pumas is currently grounded, but a number of oil industry workers have contacted us to tell us that they do not want flights to be resumed.

John Winchester, a rig administrator, working north of Bergen for the Italian oil and gas company Saipem said he had concerns about the safety of the Super Pumas and that it was time that the helicopters 'were retired'.

Saipem declined to comment but said that any employee would be speaking in a private capacity rather than on behalf of the company.

Speaking to the Today programme's James Naughtie, Mr Winchester said that travelling on the Super Puma was "like going back to the dark days".

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday 29 August 2013.