THE East Anglian Air Ambulance has embarked on a landmark new era, by taking delivery of a new helicopter capable of flying at night.

The charity has already started training its crew in night flying, and aims to become fully operational to fly in the dark by the end of the year, making it the first air ambulance in the country to provide night-time helicopter emergency services

If approved by the authorities, the emergency night flights will mean the charity can treat more people who become seriously ill or injured by flying out doctors and critical care paramedics to carry out life-saving operations on scene and by flying patients quickly to hospital or the most appropriate trauma centre.

Tim Page, chief executive of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), said: “Our move into night flying means that during the winter months when people drive to and from work in the dark, should an accident or medical emergency happen, we will be there, bringing the hospital emergency room to them, wherever they are in East Anglia.”

The new aircraft, Eurocopter’s EC135T2, will be based in Cambridge, but will cover Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Bedfordshire at night.

While exact times of operations are yet to be decided, it is thought that the charity will at first concentrate on starting at 6am in the morning and finish at midnight.

For further information on the work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance visit www.eaaa.org.uk or for details on how to volunteer or make a donation call 08450 669 999.