East's privatised search and rescue service to begin Published duration 14 August 2015

image caption The 'yellow budgies' have been a familiar sight in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex

The RAF's search and rescue services in the east of England has been taken over by a private company flying from Kent.

The Bristow Group was awarded the 10-year contract by the Department of Transport in 2013 to operate from 10 UK bases on behalf of HM Coastguard.

The £1.6bn deal ends 70 years of search and rescue by the RAF and Royal Navy.

The RAF service is based at Wattisham Airfield. The new service will fly from London Ashford Airport near Dungeness.

image caption The new helicopters will be painted in the Coastguard livery

Modern AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters in red and white Coastguard livery will replace the aging Sea King helicopters, which are due to be retired from RAF service in March 2016.

A spokeswoman for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said they were "already a familiar sight, with training operations from the base having commenced some weeks ago".

The government said the contract with the Bristow Group meant helicopters "will be able reach a larger area of the UK search and rescue region within one hour of take off than is currently possible".

It also estimated there will be an overall improvement in flying times to incidents of about 20% - from 23 to 19 minutes.

Each of Bristow's search and rescue bases will be staffed by about 30 people including nine pilots, 10 technical crew and nine engineers, as well as support staff.