FEARS have been raised about the future of Wiltshire's air ambulance as the ambulance service refuses to sign up to a new five-year deal with police.

The lease on the Explorer helicopter shared by both services is due to be renewed in December but the Great Western Ambulance Service Trust (GWAS) has offered to sign up for between one and two years while it carries out a review.

Campaigners fear the trust plans to regionalise air ambulance coverage, replacing Wiltshire's Devizes-based helicopter with its new service, to be based at Filton, north of Bristol.

GWAS has denied the claims and said the new Avon service is an entirely different issue and not connected to the review in Wiltshire.

Ann Levick, a former non-executive of the Wiltshire Ambulance NHS Trust, said: "They (GWAS) only want to commit to one year and this is a problem for the police," she said.

"While we have a shared venture with the police we are the only county that has seven days' coverage with 19 hours' flying.

"The alternative being considered by GWAS Trust is a dedicated air ambulance for the Great Western Trust, covering three counties and based possibly at Filton."

The Wiltshire Ambulance service is one of only two in the country that can fly at night and can reach anywhere in the county within eight minutes.

GWAS has already confirmed the service at Filton will not be a 24-hour operation.

Salisbury MP Robert Key said: "The people of Wiltshire have raised millions of pounds for the air ambulance and they deserve to be made aware of what is going on behind closed doors. They deserve to be consulted on this."

GWAS spokesman Victoria Eld said: "We want to find the best clinical model available to improve the service to the people of Wiltshire, not remove it.

"The Filton-based air ambulance has been set up in response to an identified gap in air ambulance cover for the people of Avon. This is an addition to the air ambulance cover in Wiltshire, not a replacement."