Speeding cop gets his job back

Three members of the Western Counties Air Operation Unit (WCAOU) asked to be transferred after a helicopter pilot who was originally sacked for dangerous driving was allowed back to work.

Ian Kingston is once again a fully operational pilot for the unit that regularly flies over the Bristol area.

He was convicted in November 2007, banned and fined £2,000 for hurtling down a 40mph coned-off area of the M5 near Cribbs Causeway at 110mph in his BMW.

Mr Kingston, 52, technically got his job back in April 2008 after appealing, but was not allowed back to work straight away.

During his time off work he was paid in full, but now Avon and Somerset police have deemed he is fit to return to his job.

The Evening Post received an anonymous tip-off that since Mr Kingston was fully reinstated, three police air observers asked to be transferred to different sections of the force.

Although the police have confirmed the transfers went through, no reasons have been given as to why they made requests.

Before Mr Kingston returned to work, he "underwent independent assessments due to his specialist role".

A spokesman for the WCAOU said: "As there are no safety concerns, we can confirm Mr Kingston has returned to work as a fully operational member of the WCAOU.

"Three air observers have been redeployed into other areas of policing, following transfer requests. Arrangements are well-advanced for their replacement."

When asked whether the transfers have had a detrimental effect in terms of getting out to incidents and emergencies in the region, the spokesman said: "This is an operational issue that we're not prepared to disclose."

The unit – a consortium of the Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire constabularies – provides air support and surveillance for both forces. It comprises an inspector, a sergeant and eight constables drawn from both constabularies.

All the observers are experienced police officers. The four ex-military pilots, directly employed by the consortium, fly the helicopters.

The observers have to pass a series of stringent tests before they are selected for training. Then it takes a total of seven weeks to train them up.

After that, they have to pass an exam every six months to ensure they are performing at the highest levels.

There are several reserve observers who are available to be called upon, should the need arise. The aircraft is based at Filton Airfield.