FRESH calls have been made for an air force base to become a commercial airport after figures showed more than £450,000 was raised by the private use of the runway over six years,

FRESH calls have been made for an air force base to become a commercial airport after figures showed more than £450,000 was raised by the private use of the runway over six years,

Almost 3000 civilian planes have landed at Leuchars in Fife - home to some of the UK's Typhoon fighter jets -since 3008.

The station has welcomed Bill Clinton, Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, Tiger Woods, Samuel L Jackson and wealthy foreign tourists, ahead of golf tournaments, in nearby St Andrews.

The base is to shut in 2015 and be handed over to the Army in a cost-cutting exercise, but campaigners fear damage to the local economy.

Roderick Campbell, MSP for North East Fife, said the figures proved opening an airport could give the region a boost.

He said: "The MoD informed me they are happy to provide advice on such a feasibility study in principle. It is beyond time they did something positive for the community."