04 November 2002 00:00 EME organises helicopter patrols in Northamptonshire to assess undiscovered storm damage

In the wake of the devastating storms, East Midlands Electricity has today hired a helicopter to carry out a week of checks on its network in Northamptonshire.

The company carried out its annual helicopter checks earlier this month but has now decided that it is essential for extra checks to be carried out in one of the counties worst affected by the storm.

Bob Taylor, Managing Director of EME, said: “These were clearly exceptional circumstances and it’s vitally important for us to check the integrity of our wires and to spot any undiscovered problems.

“Using a helicopter is far and away the quickest and most cost-effective way of doing this and the helicopter patrols have proved their worth year after year.”

EME staff worked round the clock to restore 216,000 customers to power by repairing more than 1,500 faults caused by the gale force winds.

Experienced staff flying on the helicopter, which will be operated by PDG Helicopters, will search out minor damage to overhead lines and relay details back to ground crews, who will again be out and about in the region.

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Bob Taylor said: “As Northamptonshire was particularly badly affected we’re concentrating there this week.

“We need to make absolutely certain that we know of any potential problems after the network took such a battering in the high winds.”

EME and PDG have received permission from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Civil Aviation Authority to fly the patrols.

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