Charfield Yarn Bombers recreate air ambulance team

The knitters' creations will be used to raise money for the air ambulance

A knitting group has created an entire air ambulance crew - complete with helicopter - out of wool.

Members of the Charfield Yarn Bombers in Gloucestershire were given the challenge by the Great Western Air Ambulance team to raise funds.

In five weeks they knitted a metre-long helicopter, 27 crew members and a mascot.

The amount of wool used for the project would stretch over five miles, they said.

"We were going to give the air ambulance a couple of knitted items to sell on," said organiser Helen Date.

"I showed them a little air ambulance man and they were, like, 'we've got this idea'. Could you knit the entire crew?' Yes. 'Could you knit a helicopter?' We can do that,"

The knitters, from Charfield, created figures for each member of the crew.

Air ambulance crew member James Yates with a knitted version of himself

James Yates, a member of the air ambulance team, said he was delighted with his "mini me".

"The effort and the hard work that has gone into creating these is absolutely plain to see and the Charfield Yarn Bombers have done an incredible job," he said.

Wendy Glasgow, one of the five women who took part, said: "It's been quite difficult. I think my husband will be very pleased when he gets his dining room table back, because he hasn't been able to sit there for the last three or four weeks."

Last year the group knitted 8,000 poppies to decorate the village of Charfield to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.

The knitters took five weeks to create the helicopter and 27 crew