A LIFE-saving helicopter which was at the centre of a row between ambulance chiefs is proving to be a success.

Grahame Pickering, chief executive of the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA), said the helicopter, based at Teesside Airport on a month-long trial, had been on 13 missions in less than two weeks.

Mr Pickering was speaking after a row between the charity and Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (Tenyas).

The charity, which has a long-established air ambulance at Blyth, is hoping to raise millions of pounds to keep a second life-saving helicopter at Teesside Airport.

But Trevor Molton, chief executive of Tenyas, which operates its own charity-backed helicopter from Leeds-Bradford Airport, has criticised moves by the GNAA to raise funds in North Yorkshire. He has said it was "entirely inappropriate" that the charity was raising funds in the Tenyas operational area.

But yesterday, Mr Pickering said: "We haven't done any fundraising in North Yorkshire. The furthest south you will find one of our green collection tins is probably Hutton Rudby, near Yarm.

"I would dearly love for local people and businesses to grasp this as their own, so that we can look to keep the helicopter at Teesside indefinitely.

"But I also want the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to succeed because I'm a passionate believer in air ambulances."

Northern Echo readers have already responded generously to the GNAA appeal and donated £874. The charity is hoping to secure a corporate sponsor, both for the Teesside helicopter and the air ambulance in Blyth.

Mr Pickering said companies could have the entire helicopter covered in their logo or company design or sponsor parts of the ambulance, such as the tail.

The charity can be contacted at The Imperial Centre, Grange Road, Darlington, or by telephoning (01325) 487263.