Air ambulance craned out of holiday park after hitting goalpost

A Wales Air Ambulance helicopter has been removed from a holiday park by crane after hitting a goalpost.

The aircraft was lifted out of the Scar Farm Holiday Park in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, on Sunday and was taken to Gloucester by road for repairs.

Specialist crane and haulage company N&A James Ltd from Carmarthen, which carried out the recovery operation, said the aircraft suffered tail damage after hitting a football goal while landing.

Wales Air Ambulance said its services had not been affected.

N&A James Ltd said the operation was a "challenge" but that it was a "pleasure" to help the charity.

"Thank you to everyone involved and trusting us with this delicate £7m machine," the company said in a statement.

A spokesman for the holiday park said the helicopter "caught on something" on landing and was removed on Sunday morning.

The Airbus H145 aircraft left the Wales Air Ambulance headquarters at Dafen, Llanelli, at 12:50 pm BST on Wednesday 7 October and landed in Saundersfoot 15 minutes later.

But it remained grounded at the caravan park for four days.

The helicopter's rotor blades were removed before it was lifted onto the low loader vehicle to be taken from the site.

Wales Air Ambulance said no patients were on board at the time of the incident, adding: "At no point was there any danger to the crew or members of the public, and no-one was injured.

An internal investigation is underway.

It said: "We would like to express our grateful thanks to the owners and residents of Scar Farm Holiday Park for their patience and understanding, as well as Pembrokeshire County Council and the wider local community while road closures were in place during the aircraft's removal."