BLACKPOOL Helicentre swung into action yesterday (28 Feb) to help the rescue operation at the scene of the tragic rail crash at Selby, North Yorkshire.

Chief pilot Geoff Dodd, who has been flying helicopters for nearly 20 years, described the scene where 13 people died and about 30 seriously injured as "very harrowing".

"I have been to several derailments over the years including the Hatfield and Paddington crashes," he said. "But this is the worst passenger rail accident I have attended."

Managing director of the Squires Gate-based service, Geoff Hopkins, took an emergency call at 6.30am from Railtrack's main contractor Jarvis shortly after the accident. Within 30 minutes the Helicentre had a fleet of four helicopters, led by Captain Dodd, en route to collect special technicians and rail engineers from Jarvis' HQ in York.

Cpt Dodd continued: "When we were arriving we liaised with air traffic control and were immediately given special permission to land in the temporary no-fly zone established around the site.

"All the pilots have been very focused on the job. We were carrying rail engineers and specialist technicians and it was of paramount importance to get these experts on site as quickly and smoothly as possible.

"It was only afterwards when the scale of the tragedy really hit me."