MARIA Wakeley has mounted a one-woman campaign to save Portland's coastguard search-and-rescue helicopter.

Miss Wakeley, 35, has launched a massive petition bid amid speculation that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is preparing to transfer the island's helicopter to Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, or axe it altogether.

The veteran campaigner, who believes losing the chopper could mean more deaths off the Dorset coast, has collected thousands of signatures to save coastguard services in two previous petitions.

Miss Wakeley, who works part-time in a guest-house, said: "I sent a petition of more than 2,000 signatures to Downing Street in 1996, all in favour of returning the Royal Fleet Auxiliary back to Portland. Two years later, I collected another 5,000 names on a petition to save Portland's threatened coastguard centre and helicopter, which got to the House of Commons.

"This time I want to get around 7,000 to make people sit up and realise this community cares about the helicopter." Miss Wakeley, her daughter Sherrie and friends, plan to collect signatures in Weymouth, Wyke Regis and Portland.

She added: "If our helicopter was taken away or moved to Lee-on-Solent, it would be a massive loss to the watersports industry in the area."

The organisations in charge of the helicopter's future are still refusing to quash rumours it will be axed.

An MCA spokesman said: "We are in discussions with contractors and other organisations about the future helicopter base provision for the Lyme Bay area and no decisions have been taken."