MIDLANDS Air Ambulance Charity attended 23 per cent more missions in the last 12 months than in the previous year, as well as attending its 50,000th mission.

Trauma and accidental incidents which were attended by the Lye-based charity rose overall, reaching 1,749 – of which 736 were road traffic collisions – which were up 20 per cent in comparison to 2016/17.

Stabbings and violent crime were also responsible for the rise in call outs, making up almost seven per cent of missions throughout the year.

On average, the charity now airlifts a biker every three days, and a horse rider every four days.

Ian Roberts, air operations manager for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “It’s clear from these statistics that the need for the support of the critical care paramedics and doctors on board our helicopters is higher than ever, which is why we are constantly looking to improve our operational and clinical services to ensure we can keep saving lives every day.

“The skilled aircrew, together with state of the art equipment and helicopters, ensure a patient’s chances of survival are vastly increased, but in order to stay operational we need to raise in excess of £9 million each year.

“Thankfully, the general public and local businesses across the six counties we cover do an amazing job every year to raise funds for the charity.”