“I was devastated to hear - from an internal letter from a Wing Commander at RAF Lyneham - that despite all of our efforts, the base is to close on 31st December 2012,” said North Wiltshire MP James Gray this morning.

“There are 750 civilians employed at RAF Lyneham and many hundreds of others in my constituency who owe their livelihoods in one way or another to the base and this news will come as a great blow to all of them, as well of course to the many thousands of RAF personnel who it will affect.”

“I pledge to continue the battle with the Government to try to find some means of reversing this decision, or otherwise to do everything that I can to find a secure future for the base and the people who will be so affected by its closure.”