THE response by Chief Superintendent Tim Madgwick of North Yorkshire police (Letters, April 13) to the comments made by Mike Usherwood (April 9) about the funding and use of the Great North Air Ambulance implied that the police had no interest in the aircraft other than supporting the charity which operates them.

I note from the leaflet, published and distributed by the charity, that at least one of the helicopters is "crewed by one highly trained police pilot".

Are we to assume that this specialist police officer is on detachment to the charity, and that his salary, expenses, and pension is not a charge to the rate payers?

John Richmond,

Eastfield Court,

York.

Updated: 11:13 Friday, April 16, 2004