Still hoping for an apology (From Gazette Series)

Still hoping for an apology

A WOMAN who said she was nearly hit by a helicopter as she drove her car near Wickwar is still waiting for the Ministry of Defence to find out who was responsible.

Fiona Wright, 46, of Dryleaze, Wotton-under-Edge,was driving home from Chipping Sodbury with her 73-year-old mother on March 2, when the incident happened.

She said the helicopter descended almost to ground level and swerved in front of her white Fiat Uno.

Since then she has been visited by a sergeant from the RAF but she is still waiting for the service to find out who the low-flying pilot was.

Miss Wright said: "A Sgt Jamieson came to interview us last Thursday to find out what we had seen happen.

"He was here for two and a half hours altogether and he also drove along the Wickwar road to see it for himself."

Having collected Miss Wright's account of events, the MoD is now in the process of conducting its investigation.

Added Miss Wright: "Sgt Jamieson said that they will be able to review their radar information to help find out exactly who is responsible. He thinks that they have a pretty good chance of finding out who it was.

"Once they have completed their investigation they will get back to us. It is just a matter of waiting."

So far Miss Wright has not had an apology from the MoD, but she is happy to wait for the moment.

She said: "Ideally I would like the apology to come from the individual pilot - once they find out who it was - rather than just getting a general apology from the organisation as a whole."

Paul Sykes, spokesman for the MoD, confirmed that the investigation was under way and that it would reach a conclusion in due course.

He said: "The process takes time because it isn't simply a question of looking at where the RAF were flying.

"We have to make cross-checks as the helicopter may have been from the Army, Navy or even a private aircraft."

Miss Wright said the day after the incident that she had been told by the MoD it would let her know what had happened in 15 days.