HAMPSHIRE and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s celebrated a huge milestone on the first day of this month.

On August 1, the air ambulance team were tasked with its 8,000th flight.

This means that in the past 11 years, the non-government funded charity has helped 8,000 seriously ill or injured patients from across the region.

Doctors, pilots and paramedics make up the critical care team, with the air ambulance team constantly fundraising to ensure they can continue their work.

The milestone comes as the charity experiences it’s busiest month of the year so far, with 164 call outs in July.

Its chief executive, Alex Lochrane, was delighted by the achievement.

He said: “We are proud to have been able to deliver this life-saving service to so many people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This is only possible thanks to the generosity of the local community.”