Press Association

A busy West search and rescue base looked doomed yesterday after Transport Secretary Justine Greening snubbed a campaign to save it.

As the Western Daily Press reported, Portland is one of two earmarked for the axe as part of a controversial privatisation.

The plan follows the equally contentious closure of Portland coastguard station, confirmed last year despite widespread protests.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax led a campaign to save the search and rescue base, leading eleventh-hour delegations to see Prime Minister David Cameron, and Ms Greening.

But she has now written to Mr Drax telling him she stands by her decision, which she believes is sound.

Tory MP Mr Drax said yesterday: "With the greatest respect, I think a new minister has been swayed by civil servants, who have invested too much time and public money in reaching their conclusion to be able to abandon it.

"I must admit I am bitterly disappointed at this decision, particularly after both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State promised to look again at the matter.

"It seems short-sighted, it won't save much money and I believe it will cost lives. Certainly, we shall fight on."

Ms Greening acknowledged in her letter that the Portland helicopter had helped in many vital incidents far away from its base, including the Boscastle floods in 2004.

But her data suggested a newer and faster fleet of helicopters could do the same job from fewer bases.

There could be as few as eight in the whole of the UK, and she was going for ten as she was satisfied this would provide service enhancements.

Ms Greening did not accept the removal of the Portland aircraft would leave the region vulnerable, and had not taken the decision to close it lightly. She said: "I am confident that my doing so will not increase the overall risk of loss of life."

But Mr Drax said she had relied on modelling, using hypothetical situations, which could not account for all the vagaries of incidents at sea.

"The minister has placed her trust in a new fleet of helicopters, although there will be fewer of them at less bases around the coastline – it simply does not make so sense.

"There are no fewer incidents, in fact there are more every year. As we have said before and will say again, no matter how speedy and efficient these new aircraft are, one helicopter cannot be in two places at once."