Yorkshire Air Ambulance gets £1m bank fine boost

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance says the money is "hugely welcome"

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) has been given £1m of money collected by government fines on the UK's banks.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made the announcement at the helicopter's base at Nostell, near Wakefield.

Peter Sunderland, of the YAA, said the money was "hugely welcome" and would help it to replace their oldest craft.

The charity said it needed £12,000 a day to keep both its helicopters in the air.

It currently operates two helicopters, one based in the grounds of Nostell Priory and the other at Topcliffe, near Thirsk, in North Yorkshire.

'Brilliant charity'

The work of the two helicopters has been featured on the BBC TV series, Helicopter Heroes.

The chancellor was visiting the Nostell base with former Yorkshire and England batsman Geoffrey Boycott who helps to raise funds for the charity.

Mr Osborne said: "It's a brilliant charity that saves lives across Yorkshire".

Maintenance and operational costs have risen sharply for the 16 year-old G-SASH

Geoffrey Boycott said he had written to Mr Osborne and the money was "a fantastic response to that letter".

Mr Sunderland, chairman of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said the money would "develop the process of replacing our oldest MD902 Explorer".

In recent years maintenance and operational costs have risen sharply for their other helicopter, the 16 year-old G-SASH.

He said the YAA had been working over the last few years to build its reserves to help buy a new helicopter with the latest medical equipment.

In February the YAA was one of 20 air ambulance charities across the country to receive £250,000 each from the banking fine fund.