After seven months of pressure on Government, a campaign led by the Dorset Echo has saved the Portland Coastguard helicopter.

The helicopter, which has rescued seamen, divers, yachtsmen and cliff walkers, is one of the busiest in the country.

But it was threatened with relocation to Lee-on-Solent in a rationalisation plan by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The agency had claimed that cover would be adequate – but the move would have added at least half an hour to average response time to emergencies off Weymouth and Portland.

Local people have been celebrating after it was revealed the Government had found funding for a new hangar and facilities at Osprey Quay, Portland, believed to be more than £1.5m.

In response to the Dorset Echo’s appeal, around 5,000 readers returned coupons from the paper urging the Government to keep the helicopter – a remarkable result in the context of the paper’s daily sale of around 20,000.

The sacks full of coupons were delivered to the House of Commons by reporter Martin Lea.

Local MP Jim Knight said: “It was the strength of this campaign that made the MCA and ministers reverse their decision and rethink this issue and I’m glad they’ve done the right thing.”

The Dorset Echo’s Comment column welcomed the news by offering thanks ‘from someone not yet saved’.

It said: “We are convinced that the occasion will arise when someone will be saved from death by the simple fact that the helicopter is close by, rather than at least half an hour further away at Lee-on-Solent.

“Thank you everybody, from someone whose life has not yet been saved, but will be, because of your efforts. Thank you on behalf of their family and loved ones.

“They, whoever they are, will some day have reason to celebrate the fact that we, as a community, cared enough to want to save our lifesavers.”

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