KATE Chivers, is to step down as chief executive of the Kent Air Ambulance Trust, which she found and has run since 1989.

A announcement today said Kate, of Cranbrook intended to pursue charitable interests, consultancy and writing.

Kate was at the helm of the service when the pilot and two paramedics were killed in an accident in July 1998.

She said: "Kent HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service)is widely recognised as the premier air ambulance service in the United Kingdom, and it is entirely due to the exceptional support of the people of Kent that it has survived to enter its 14th year of operation, saving time and saving life."