LANCASTER has been chosen as the perfect place to launch a new £500,000 appeal to people across the North West.

North West Air Ambulance officials and supporters will gather at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on Monday.

Charity officials at the vital emergency service must raise half a million pounds to replace the 30-year-old aircraft in use at the moment.

The infirmary where a new helipad was used for the first time last month is seen as the perfect launch pad for the appeal dubbed Operation Eagle'.

North West Air Ambulance covers 5,500 square miles and serves a population of seven million people. It is called out several times each day and has saved hundreds of lives but receives no Government funding and has to find £65,000 every month to stay in the air.

It wants to replace its German Bolkow helicopter with a new state of the art EC 135 - a move being supported by Gulf War POW and successful author John Nichol, who will officially launch the appeal at Lancaster.

Charity chief executive Lynda Brislin says:" We're doing this because we have no option. We have to replace the old helicopter before it legally has to be withdrawn from service. The North West Air Ambulance belongs to everyone in the region and we urge people to support this new appeal."