Air ambulances do not come cheap. The life-saving helicopter which serves Leicestershire costs around £1.5 million a year to keep airborne. Nobody can doubt, however, that it is worth every penny when one sees the fantastic work that it does. In its first year in our skies, it has flown more than 1,250 missions. A number of the patients it has helped owe it their lives. All this has only been possible because of the hard work of the people who have set up the service and who have tirelessly raised funds to keep it flying.

In 2007, the air ambulance cover for Leicestershire was plunged into crisis because of a decision to move the aircraft which then served the county from Castle Donington to Staffordshire. It left our area at risk of having no cover and raised fears that lives would be put in jeopardy as a result.

It was a great relief then when a new service was announced. The Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance took over from its predecessor last April and the vital contribution it has made in its first 12 months of service is clear for all to see.

The air ambulance can literally make the difference between life and death, enabling medics to get to the scene of emergencies quickly where they can treat patients and get them back to hospital much faster than might otherwise be possible. It is invaluable in instances when land ambulances might have difficulty getting to the scene.

It should be remembered, however, that it needs donations to keep it airborne. Public support is vital and we hope that our coverage today will encourage people to contribute to the cause.

It is great news for the people of Earl Shilton that their long-awaited bypass has finally opened. The new road will make a big difference to their lives. It will reduce congestion in Earl Shilton and in turn cut pollution levels. It will also make the area safer for pedestrians and local traffic. Congratulations to all those who have fought so hard over the past two decades to make this a reality.