WEST Somerset's emergency services recently came together for a special multi-agency training day.

The HM Coastguard, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue from Williton and officers from Avon and Somerset Police and the Special Constabulary stationed at Williton Police Station all joined the exercises.

The HM Coastguard Rescue Teams set up a helicopter landing site at Warren Farm, Watchet and shortly before 10am on November 14, one of the Coastguard AW139 Rescue Helicopters based at RAF St Athan in South Wales was guided into land.

The Coastguards simulated a night time landing site using emergency vehicles for the benefit of the other services, and then using orange smoke and a landing officer guided the aircraft in as would be undertaken in the daytime.

Following the engines being shut down, the chief pilot from the Coastguard Rescue Flight at St Athan, Olly Padbury, gave the assembled observers a safety briefing and introduction to the aircraft.

Following a tour of the aircraft and the equipment that it carries, five new members of the HM Coastguard teams from Watchet and Minehead were given a familiarisation flight over West Somerset prior to them landing and undertaking a series of exercises with the aircraft and the winchman.

Police and fire officers then joined the Coastguards in with the practise loading of stretcher casualties onto the aircraft whilst having to walk through the powerful downdraught of these new rescue helicopters.

Following this each of the three emergency services were instructed on the correct use of the Hi Line, a method of assisting a winchman to reach a location safely and without being thrown around on the end of the winch wire with a stretcher.

Simon Bale from Watchet Coastguard said: "This was an ideal opportunity for the three emergency services to work together with the Coastguard Rescue Helicopters, preparing themselves for situations or incident where time matters in landing the aircraft safely, evacuating a casualty from inland or the shoreline onto the aircraft and being transported to hospital or safety quickly.

"To practise this is invaluable and we thank the Rescue Flight for their time spent with us at Watchet."