A NEW nationwide control room for Her Majesty's Coastguard based in Hampshire has become operational today.

The National Maritime Operations Centre (NMOC), which co-ordinates search and rescue services, runs alongside 10 others around the UK.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) facility near Fareham has today taken over 999 calls handled by the Solent station in Lee-on-the-Solent, which is closing.

Operations from Solent Coastguard, which looks after Hampshire, Isle of Wight and parts of Sussex, will now operate from the new super control room.

The handover of Portland Coastguard, which covers Dorset and East Devon, will start next Monday.

The MCA says this means in a search and rescue incident there will be a much bigger and better support network available nationally.

There will be no reduction in rescue resources and availability of coastguard rescue teams, lifeboats, rescue helicopters and other rescue units will be unaffected, the agency says.

Mark Rodaway has moved across from Portland Coastguard and taken up a new role at the NMOC, said: “The public won't notice any difference to the way search and rescue missions are responded to.

“If you call 999 and ask for the coastguard, or issue a mayday broadcast, we will still be here to help you.

“The only change is that we now have a new centre that will be able to oversee and assist with operations around the whole of the UK, with a mix of experienced personnel alongside maritime operations officers that have chosen to pursue an exciting career with the coastguard.

“I am incredibly grateful to the staff both at Solent and Portland Coastguard, who have served their region and local communities with great dedication and professionalism over many years.

“I am pleased that a good number of them are staying with the coastguard and have relocated to roles at our new national centre.”

There will be 47 Coastguards based at the new centre. Once the new national network is complete by the end of 2015, there will be 96 Coastguards based there.

Matthew West, who has also moved the new centre, said: “Coastguards at the NMOC have been through an extensive training programme in the past few months, including live exercises with lifeboats and coastguard rescue teams.

“It's an exciting time for us as we now have a new state-of-the-art operations centre where we can put our knowledge and skills to good use in coordinating search and rescue missions.”

The new national network is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2015.