The Guardian reports that the Audit Office is to investigate the fate of 20 Westland helicoptors donated to India in an aid deal made in the 1980s.

The helicopters were purchased in 1984 and delivered in 1987, using £65 million of aid authorised by then prime minister Lady Thatcher. After two crashes, the helicopters were taken out of service in 1989, leading a British aviation company to offer the Indian government £900,000 in aid relief in exchange for spare parts over two years ago. It is this deal that is now on the verge of collapse.

International development secretary Clare Short said: "I am happy to say that this whole saga shows we were right to scrap this aid programme when we came into office."