The team that prepares landing sites for the soon to be retired Royal Navy search and rescue helicopters has asked that members of the public stay clear when the aircraft are taking off and landing.

The team has said more people are trying to take photos of the aircraft before the duties of 771 Squadron are transferred to a private contractor, and although an interest is always welcome, onlookers should maintain a safe distance.

In a statement on Facebook, the team asked for the public to "respect the dignity and privacy" of casualties who are "often seriously ill or injured", and to avoid causing an obstruction to emergency vehicles by parking inconsiderately.

It added: "Lastly, keep your dog on a lead. A Sea King will not think twice about sucking a Jack Russell into an engine intake, not only does this present a clear and present danger to your dog, it will cause catastrophic damage to the aircraft and possibly the surrounding area."

The set up three landings in three days at Malpas near Truro last week, including two calls on Friday, May 22. The first shout, at 5.50pm, was to help helicopter R193 at a landing site on a cricket pitch, so that two seriously injured people from a crash at Chybucca could be put on board and transferred to Derriford hospital in Plymouth, however doctors decided that it wasn't suitable to transfer the casualties at that time.

The team returned at around 11.45pm, to help the helicopter land a casualty from the Isles of Scilly, but was turned back at the bottom of Morlaix Avenue as the flight redirected to RNAS Culdrose due to very poor weather conditions.

On Monday the team was called at around 10am, when they secured the landing site before a casualty from the Isles of Scilly was landed for a transfer to the Royal Cornwall Hospital.