Greater Manchester Police, which covers a 1,300km2 (500 miles2) area in north-west England, UK, has taken delivery of a BN Group turbine powered BN2T-4S Defender 4000. The aircraft will be used to monitor the Commonwealth Games taking place in Manchester in July. It will join an MD 902 Explorer in the city's air support unit.
Meanwhile, London's police authority is reducing its air support fleet from three to two helicopters. The police force has to find savings of £60 million ($86 million) after "budgetary mismanagement" while London's police force was funded directly from the UK's interior ministry, the Home Office, says the Metropolitan Police. The police force had been in negotiations with distributors to acquire an extra helicopter this year, bringing it in line with other European capital cities which average five aircraft.
Source: Flight International
