A SOUTH Hampshire company has announced plans to buy and lease back emergency vehicles to UK local authorities.

VT Group hopes to buy up fleets of ambulances, police cars and fire engines in a move which could save cash-strapped councils thousands of pounds every year.

Part of the deal would be that the Hedge End business would maintain the vehicles.

A spokesman for VT said the talks were in the early stages, but as they already worked with more than 20 local authorities, he said it would be “practical” to extend the services which they provided Paul Lester, chief executive of VT, said: “We could take over a fleet of ambulances, fire engines and police cars and lease them back. That might be quite attractive if local authorities want to get some cash and improve efficiencies.”

The defence and services giant already has a 10-year contract to maintain 3,600 vehicles, including police cars and vans owned by the Metropolitan Police.

It also builds and leases military vessels to the Royal Navy.

But this would be the first time a private company has bought entire fleets of UK emergency vehicles.

As reported, the company will be completing a major sea change in its activities in July when, after almost 150 years as a shipbuilder, it will focus entirely on its burgeoning support services business instead.

At the moment, only 20 per cent of its £1.2bn turnover comes from shipbuilding.