FORMER airmen who served at RAF Lyneham have come out fighting in a bid to save the busy Hercules base.

They have carried out their own study into the role of the transport station and have concluded that keeping the base open is the only sensible option.

Barry Hughes, of the RAF Lyneham Old Boys Association, said: "It is hard to understand how any benefit least of all financial could flow from closing Lyneham, while a great deal of hardship would certainly result."

These views are endorsed by secretary Jim Semple, who lives at Haydon Wick.

He said: "I can tell you that our members, and there are nearly 500 of them, are well brassed off to think that the base could be shut down.

"Four or five I spoke to were close to tears. So many people had such a great time at Lyneham and the station still means so much to many. We believe the Government wants to make money by selling off the site for development."

The Ministry of Defence is carrying out a strategic review of the RAF bases at Lyne-ham, Brize Norton and St Mawgan in Cornwall.

The RAF is to take delivery of a new transport plane, the A400M, which will work with the new C-130J Hercules to form the RAF's air transport fleet of the future.

Local people fear that the new fleet could be based at Brize Norton which would mean the closure of Lyneham.

But a big Save Lyneham campaign has been launched, headed by North Wiltshire MP James Gray, who is hoping that people power will persuade the Government to keep the Wiltshire base open.

Last week Mr Gray told the Evening Advertiser that he had sensed "a slight softening in the language being used which I hope may signify a future for RAF Lyneham".

Mr Hughes said it was wrong to suggest that Lyneham's runways were too short for the yet-to-be-built A400M.

"Airbus, the manufacturers, have confirmed that Lyneham has two runways capable of taking the new aircraft under all loads and circumstances," he said. "Brize Norton has a single runway."

He added: "To place the A400M at Brize Norton would be to put the RAF's transport eggs in one basket. The target to an enemy, or to terrorists, would be irresistible."

The Old Boys Association argues that the narrow country roads leading to RAF Brize Norton are not suitable to take many of the bulky loads the army bases on Salisbury Plain would need to deliver, where-as Lyneham has ideal road and rail links.

Mr Gray has been told that a final decision on the future of RAF Lyneham is now not expected until October.