Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has appointed a new chairman.

Tony Nicholson stepped up to his new post on January 1 and has been a trustee of the charity since 2010. He replaces Barry Lipscomb.

Mr Nicholson was himself a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot and later took responsibility for planning and delivering major new aircraft programmes.

Since the start of flying operations six years ago, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has expanded its service with an upgraded helicopter, longer operating hours and the introduction of regular doctor-led crewing. The Mr Nicholson will now be at the helm as the services looks at another helicopter upgrade to enable night time tasks.

He said: "Very simply, the service exists to save lives and help people and it’s a privilege to contribute to that. We couldn’t do it without the support we get from across our communities, the aircrews themselves, and our own small team and the volunteers who stand behind them. In following Barry Lipscomb as chairman, I also know how much we owe him for helping set us on such firm foundations."