THE county's air ambulance is calling on supporters in their community to "Give Life Not Socks" this Christmas.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) has launched a new campaign to get people thinking about the presents they give.

Last December, HIOWAA responded to 140 call-outs, including four on Christmas day. This year, the life-saving charity are suggesting that everybody resists the temptation to buy novelty socks for their friends and loved ones and instead donates the money to help keep the air ambulance flying and saving lives.

HIOWAA director of fundraising, Rachel Leaman, said: “We don’t stop for Christmas or New Year. For our teams of doctors, paramedics, pilots and dispatch assistants it will be ‘business as usual’ over the holiday period. We depend upon your donations, and by giving the gift of life this Christmas you are allowing us to be there for our community, should the worst happen.”

Supporters can give the gift of life this Christmas by donating through the charity website, where they can also watch and share the charity’s short film, Give Life Not Socks: www.hiowaa.org/Christmas

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance receives no Government funding and relies entirely on the generosity of the public to raise the £15,000 a day needed to keep their service operational.