ACCIDENT victims across Oxfordshire will get rapid life-saving help following the relocation of the air ambulance to its new home at RAF Benson this week.

The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance used to take nine minutes to get to Oxford from its base near Maidenhead.

But the journey time has dropped to two minutes since it started responding to 999 calls from its new home on Monday.

General manager Stevie Horton said about ten per cent of the helicopter's 916 missions last year were in Oxfordshire.

She said: "There will be faster response times from our new base. It'll only take a couple of minutes to get to Oxford and will be a real life saver for Oxfordshire residents.

"Half the call-outs are road traffic accidents. The other half are made up of things like accidents on golf courses, agricultural and equestrian injuries, children in playgrounds, and walkers. The helicopter will get there within minutes. It will be a big plus for the people of Oxfordshire."

The Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance is a charity. Although South Central Ambulance Service supplies paramedics free of charge, it costs £1.2m a year to keep the Bolkow 105 machine in the air.

Mrs Horton said the move to RAF Benson would boost the organisation's finances.

As well as giving them access to cheap air force fuel, subsidised by the Government, it could encourage Oxfordshire residents to fundraise for their cause.

She said: "We have a great amount of support in Berkshire but not in Oxfordshire. I suppose I can see why.

"Now the helicopter is based in the county there's every incentive to fundraise for us.

"We're looking to upgrade to a Eurocopter 135. It will cost £1.5m a year - so it is important that the people of Oxfordshire get behind us and help us get it as soon as we can.

"At the moment we operate seven days a week, 365 days a year. But if we didn't get the funding we need, we would have to cut our service and we don't want that to happen."