London is to get a second 'Air Ambulance' helicopter which will allow the capital to have 100 per cent air cover.

The capital currently only has one helicopter, which needs crucial maintenance for six weeks at a time, leaving ground crews to fill the gap.

But Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Budget on Wednesday that £1million will be provided by the government for the purchase of a second helicopter. He also promised to relieve VAT on fuel for the Air Ambulance.

Graham Hodgkin, chief executive of London Ambulance Service said: "£1million will give us the opportunity to acquire a second helicopter to give London 100 per cent air cover during summer daylight hours and maintenance periods. In practical terms, we estimate we’ll now be able to reach a further 400 patients each year by helicopter."

Brentford an Isleworth MP Mary Macleod, who has been campaigning alongside London MPs for a second helicopter, also welcomed the news.

She said: "This is fantastic news for London and is testament to the crucial, life saving work done by the LAA team aboard London’s Air Ambulance. We have campaigned hard to raise the awareness of the amazing work that this charity does. There is a real need for another helicopter. London only has the one for 11 million people as opposed to elsewhere in the UK where it is one for 1.5 million people."

London’s Air Ambulance has been involved in over 26,000 missions since it was founded, saving lives across 600 square miles of the city. The majority of cases are high trauma, and the LAA team is able to 'bring the emergency room to the roadside' with cutting edge equipment and the most highly trained professionals. 40 open-heart surgeries were performed alone in 2012.