Ambulance stolen from outside house while crew treated patient

16 November 2020, 09:27

An ambulance was stolen from outside a house in Flintshire, north Wales, while the crew were inside treating a patient.

Paramedics were treating a patient at a home in Shotton when the ambulance was taken, forcing the Welsh Ambulance Service to dispatch another vehicle.

Police also dispatched a team, who later found the ambulance abandoned.

Bob Tooby, Assistant Director of Operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service, branded the incident "extremely irresponsible" and said it "could have led to very serious harm."

In a statement, he said: "The Trust were able to dispatch another vehicle without delay to assist the crew and North Wales Police immediately alerted their own teams who later found the ambulance abandoned.

“The theft of an emergency ambulance is an extremely irresponsible act placing patients and the public at risk. Had the crew needed to access additional emergency equipment from the vehicle, or to urgently convey the patient to hospital, this act could have led to very serious harm.

"North Wales Police are now leading enquiries to identify the offenders and we would encourage members of the public to come forward with any information regarding the theft. North Wales Police have dispatched their crime scene examiners who will forensically examine the vehicle.

“Our services have been extremely busy dealing with winter pressures, alongside the challenges of the pandemic. We will be supporting our North Wales Police colleagues to find the person responsible, and bring them to justice. This is a very rare occurrence but is being treated incredibly seriously.”