RAF Chivenor downgraded
The search and rescue operations at RAF Chivenor covering North Cornwall and North Devon are to be phased out during nighttime hours as a money-saving exercise.
The slack will be taken up by bases in Barry, South Wales and RNAS Culdrose.
The area is high in sea-going businesses, from fishing boats to pleasure craft as well as small boat owners.
Further down the line, it’s understood that the RAF Sea King flights will be replaced by private services from 2012. Many in the region fear that air-sea rescue services will be less effective in the future.
