Air ambulance crew awarded Diamond Jubilee medals

Two pilots and three clinical managers received medals from the charity

The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust has awarded five of its crew members Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals.

The charity, which was set up in 1989, said the presentation was in recognition of their contribution to care.

The specially equipped helicopter can reach any part of Kent, Surrey and Sussex within 20 minutes.

The air ambulance charity is mainly funded by charitable donations.

Pilots Blaine Ashurst and Kevin Goddard and clinical managers Gary Wareham, Rob Wilkinson and Richard de Coverly, who are all from Kent, received the medals.

Pilots Captain Ashurst and Captain Goddard each spent more than 20 years in the army before joining the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust.

Clinical manager Gary Wareham is the charity's longest-serving crew member. He joined in 1996 when the helicopter was based at Rochester Airport.

The helicopter, which is now based at Marden, deals with between four and six medical emergencies every day, the charity said.

The charity's Director of Operations Leigh Curtis awarded the medals.