Pilot suspended over claims coastguard helicopter used to pick up meat from butcher

A helicopter pilot has been suspended after crew were filmed using the aircraft to pick up meat from a butcher's shop.

The Shetland Coastguard crew were caught on camera landing in a field behind the shop in Tankerness, Orkney, close to the local airport but some 85 miles from the coastguard base.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) says it is now waiting the outcome of an investigation into the incident.

The helicopter crew had been on a training exercise earlier on the day, before making the pit-stop in Orkney.

Footage appears to show the crew collecting a parcel of meat from the local butcher, and minutes later they are back on the helicopter.

The coastguard service is contracted from the MCA to CHC helicopters, who insisted that the training exercise had been completed and any costs incurred were met by them and not the taxpayer.

A spokeswoman said: "We expect high standards of professionalism from all our employees and if we find these have not been met, we will take the appropriate action.

"While the aircraft was previously engaged in a training exercise, it was operating a non-revenue flight at the time of the incident in question."

An MCA spokeswoman said: "We are aware of an incident involving a coastguard helicopter based at Shetland and have asked our contractor CHC to investigate as a matter of urgency.

"The MCA regards any misuse of these assets as completely unacceptable and await the outcome of this investigation."

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