The air ambulance costs �70,000 a month to operate

A campaign is set to take off in an attempt to raise money for an air ambulance for Cumbria.

The county is served by two aircraft but both are stationed outside the county.

Patients in Cumbria can be carried by either the Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA), based on Teesside, or its North West counterpart stationed in Blackpool.

Recently the North West Air Ambulance made an appeal for funding as it announced it would open an office in Kendal.

But after 18 calls to Cumbria in a six month period, the Teesside-based crew has decided to start fundraising for an air ambulance just for Cumbria.

Local donations

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance said �300,000 is needed, but if local businesses are supportive a new aircraft could be taking off in months.

The GNAA costs �1m a year to run, and the current craft was brought in to service in March 2003.

It is supported by the generosity of local people and donations from the business community.

The seven-days-a-week service brings 80% of the North East's population within reach of air ambulance assistance.