Latest news with #ambulance
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Horrifying attack that left my girl, 11, asking: ‘Daddy, is he dead?' proves cops have lost control of Britain's streets
DRIVING home from a picnic last weekend, I found myself surrounded by ambulances and police cars – lights on, horns blaring – rushing somewhere with typical urgency. 'I wonder where they're going?' asked my youngest as the deafening roar of an air ambulance overhead nearly drowned out her enquiry. 5 5 She got her answer moments later as I turned the car into our road and we came upon a scene of horror that no child should ever have to witness. A man had been brutally stabbed, felled by the alleyway a few doors down from our home. Blood had gushed from his wound, soaking the pavement where just hours earlier my 11-year-old daughter and her friends had drawn love hearts with giant colourful chalks. Utterly shocked The assailant had fled by the time a team of armed cops arrived but there was another man there also covered in blood. He had been walking past when he saw someone in their 'early 20s' being chased and then stabbed multiple times in the leg and went to help. He looked utterly shocked, as was my clearly traumatised daughter, who asked: 'Is he dead, Daddy?' Fortunately, the victim was by then stable in the ambulance. And not just because of this quick-thinking bystander and the emergency medics who were fast on the scene, but also thanks to a doctor neighbour arriving home just as the attack unfolded. I hope whoever was knifed on that stiflingly hot Saturday remains with us and does not become, as I write this, the 37th homicide statistic in 'Sir' Sadiq Khan 's crime-ridden London this year. But that victim will come along soon and the chances are they will meet their fate at the end of a blade (46 per cent of the 570 murders in England and Wales last year involved a 'sharp instrument'.) Moment Bridgerton star FIGHTS thief who took phone by tackling him to ground The police have lost control of Britain's streets. Gangs are running around our towns and cities committing violent acts in broad daylight because there is no one to stop them. Further evidence came the following day when TV presenter Selina Scott told of being attacke d and robbed in London the previous week. She was out shopping in Piccadilly, a stone's throw from the Ritz Hotel, when she was set upon by a gang of 'seven or eight men and women' who hemmed her in and stole her purse. The incident, she said, left her feeling 'humiliated', 'sick' and above all, 'furious'. But the thing that struck me about her account was that when the gang had finished with her they walked off 'laughing'. Yes, LAUGHING. The despicable scrotes who prowl our streets looking for victims are so unafraid of being caught they have turned violent crime into a joke. They know no one will tackle them because, frankly, there is no one to tackle them. The police are invisible. As Selina wrote in her terrifying account: 'I resolved to find a police officer, but despite walking up and down some of London's busiest central areas I saw none.' The same can be said of the streets where I live. Despite being in a densely populated part of North London — an area an estate agent would euphemistically describe as 'vibrant' — I have NEVER seen a beat copper on my street. Have you ever seen one on yours? For so many of us, this is the reality of life now. Lawless lanes where weed -smoking gangs roam freely, making the old and vulnerable prisoners in their own homes. Keir Starmer teased fed-up voters at the last election with a solution, promising to put 13,000 more bobbies on the beat by 2029. But then came this month's spending review, which could drive a wrecking ball through that plan as policing budgets shrink by £1.2billion in real terms. The number of coppers could instead be reduced and the public will 'pay the price', senior cops have warned. So another policy U-turn — this time very much not in society's favour — from our hapless PM could be on the horizon. This must not be allowed to happen. Met chief Mark Rowley has now apologised to Selina for letting her down. Good. But apologies aren't enough. We're sick of excuses. It's time for action. We need to see more coppers on our streets preventing crime. Not just clearing up the bloody remains of another ruined life. JEFFIN' CHEEK, VENICE 5 THE denizens of Venice getting their spaghetti in a twist over Amazon gazillionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez 's lavish wedding this week is a bit, er, rich. I've been to the Italian island city and, while it is unquestionably beautiful, it is also a gigantic rip-off. Local businesses like nothing more than fleecing tourists and, as happened to me, sneering at them in wildly overpriced restaurants. A simple cup of coffee will cost you €12 on St Mark's Square – plus another compulsory €7 just to listen to some snooty signor playing some tunes. Oh, and those cute gondola rides? That'll be €90 for 30 minutes, per favore. So, greedy Venice should be grateful that the fourth-richest man and his billionaire buddies are in town. They're the only ones who can afford the prices. THIS week shameless Michele Lopez revealed she makes £300 a month flogging her used knickers on Vinted. But just how used is 'used'? I think for second hand undercrackers it's important to know. Or is it just the luck of the drawers? WRITE SHAME ONLY a quarter of kids enjoy writing, according to the National Literacy Trust. Which is upsetting news for people like me who love nothing more than crafting a sentence. But it is also hardly surprising in a world where youngsters spend all day on their smartphones sending each other baffling emojis. Schools aren't helping by making lessons and homework more and more screen-based. Maybe it's time to bring back the old hand-held chalk slates. They might look like something from a Charles Dickens novel but at least it will get kids writing. And they won't run out of battery halfway through a paragraph. IT'S ALL GONG WRONG PRINCE WILLIAM seems like a good youth but when I get my knighthood – and believe me it's coming – I want the King to bestow it upon me. Former England gaffer Gareth Southgate had to make do with the under-study this week and it just didn't look as historic as it would if his Maj was brandishing the famous sword. I bet Chaz will do the honours for his new pal David Beckham when his turn comes. Maybe Gareth should have done a Becks and amped up the brown- nosing. CLASS IDIOCY ANOTHER private school, this time in Leeds, has closed following Labour 's green-eyed policy of whacking VAT on fees. Starmer and his socialist pals insisted the tax raid would see only 3,000 kids forced to quit for the state sector this last academic year. Instead, the figure stands at over 13,000, says the Independent Schools Council. It's easy not to care about private schools and assume all the pupils are toffs. The reality is lots are offspring of working-class folk who scrimp and save to give their kids the best start. If the exodus continues at this rate this policy of envy will not just put intolerable pressure on already struggling state schools but could cost the Treasury more than it brings in. ONE of my favourite songs – Africa by Toto – has been named the safest tune to drive to. Its 'gentle BPM tempo and remarkably quiet sound profile' creates the 'perfect audio environment' to discourage risky behaviour like speeding, according to a new study. Which is quite the accolade for a song that famously contains the lyric: 'Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you.' LET THE GENE OUT OF THE BOTTLE, KATE & GWYNETH 5 SORRY to hear that Kate Moss 's lifestyle brand has hit the skids. It's almost as if we mere mortals don't believe products like her £75 Golden Nectar skin oil will give us her supermodel looks. Much like we don't imagine Gwyneth Paltrow' s Goop brand with its £60 candles that smell like her vagina will turn us into Hollywood idols. No, the only thing that would be worth buying from these age-defying fiftysomethings would be a jar of their evidently good genes.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- BBC News
Birmingham woman arrested after baby boy's death is bailed
A woman who was arrested after the death of a baby boy in Birmingham has been 37-year-old was held on suspicion of child neglect after officers were called twice to an address in Culford Drive, Bartley Green, on had initially carried out a welfare check in the morning, and were called to reports of a medical emergency hours later. The boy died later in Midlands Police said on Friday the woman had been bailed with strict conditions, with inquiries ongoing. The force also confirmed the matter had been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police crews had been called to a baby who was in a critical condition and receiving CPR, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.A spokesman for the service said despite everyone's best efforts, the baby could not be saved and died shortly after arriving at Midlands Police issued a statement confirming details of police statement said: "Officers attended the address earlier in the morning, where they entered the property and carried out a welfare check."We were then called later in the afternoon to reports of a baby having a medical emergency at the address, and he sadly later died." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Off-duty ambulance worker jumped into river to save screaming children after bus crash - as 'hero' driver, 69, and girl, 16, are still in hospital with major injuries
An off-duty ambulance worker jumped into a river to save screaming children after a bus crash yesterday, as police confirmed the 'hero' driver and a 16-year-old schoolgirl remain in hospital with major injuries. The bus, which was carrying 19 children and the driver at the time of the crash, careered down a busy road and collided with a car before leaving the edge of the street and toppling into a river. The double-decker crashed yesterday morning at around 10am in Eastleigh, Hampshire, while carrying children on their way to Barton Peveril College. The driver, a 69-year-old male, and a 16-year-old girl suffered serious injuries and are still in hospital. Three other teenagers, two girls and boy all aged 17, sustained serious injuries but have since been discharged from hospital. The other 15 passengers, aged between 16 and 18, all received minor injuries, with three of them needing hospital treatment. It has since been reported that the driver informed passersby who rushed to help that the brakes had failed and the accelerator jammed. Ambulance team leader Jade Etheridge, who lives nearby, saw people 'gathered around the railings' shortly after the incident and her first instinct was to go into the water to help the 'screaming children'. After everyone had been rescued Ms Etheridge, who works for the 111 service for South Central Ambulance Service, had to walk home 'covered in mud and blood'. 'There was the bus driver, bless his heart, he was shouting for help,' Ms Etheridge, 28, said. 'He was up to his chest in mud and I could see him laying sideways across out of the seat. There was another girl, a teenage girl, screaming. 'I don't know if they managed to push that off to get out, but I smacked the back of the bus and said somebody help me up. 'I was sinking in the mud. There was a lad upstairs, shouting down they were stuck and that somebody was injured.' Another man, who did not have first aid training, also boarded the bus with a medical kit to help the injured passengers. Ms Etheridge took the lead, directing those who could 'walk and talk' off the bus so she could triage the five people who were more seriously injured. 'I checked all of them when they were getting off the back of the bus,' she continued. One video captured a young woman walking along the street as the bus careered along the road in Eastleigh, Hampshire 'They had bumps, bruises, bloody noises. I checked them all. There were a couple of quite nasty head injuries, a lad with probably a dislocated arm. 'Apparently the bus driver had shouted for them to brace themselves. Two of the students, I did do first aid on, but everybody that was up walking and talking we got off the bus. 'We had to triage the more serious injuries. If you can walk and talk, then out of the way, because there were five that were taken to hospital, and a couple of them were quite seriously injured.' Ms Etheridge praised the other good Samaritan who had jumped into help without any training. She said: 'I think he deserves credit for jumping into a situation that was quite frankly terrifying,' she said. 'You don't know what you're going to find in a situation like that. 'When I got into the bus, it was a puddle of water, and by the time I was getting off, it was up to my shin. 'It was a sinking bus, it's not deep but it was cold, wet, muddy and we had nothing but a first aid kit to help these people. After everything, I've walked home, covered in mud, covered in blood.' Local resident Kelly West was working from home at the time and ran outside when she heard screeching and saw the bus 'come careering into the river'. She told BBC News on Thursday that she spoke to the driver who told her he was 'doing the best he could to avoid cars as he was coming down the road'. At least five ambulances were at the scene on the residential Bishopstoke Road and an air ambulance landed near the crash site, which was cordoned off by police. Fire crews were seen with stretchers on hand to take people off the bus which was carrying passengers from Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in the town. This morning police confirmed that the bus had been safely removed from the scene and the road has been reopened. Yesterday footage from inside the Bluestar 607 vehicle showing students clinging to the seats on the top deck as the countryside rushes past the windows with horrifying speed. The teenagers' voices get more and more panicked as they shout down the bus 'we're gonna die. We're actually gonna die. What's he doing? We're actually going to die!'. They claim the bus has just had a 'major crash and now he's speeding off', while the front window appears to have been smashed. Bruno Aguiar is a local electrician was on his way to work when his van was almost struck by the bus full of college students. 'I saw the bus coming really fast. I swerved to the pavement, and the bus came into the middle of both lanes,' he said. 'It hit a red Corsa from a driving school and then went into the river. 'I went to check on the driver, and he was asking for an ambulance. I saw [the bus] was full of children.' Bruno was quick to take action, pulling the ladder from his van to help bring the students to safety. He added that another man wearing a Bluestar uniform, believed to have been passing by, was also 'really quick to help' to remove the children from the bus. Inspector Andy Tester of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary at the scene yesterday 'I went to get the ladder off my van and helped the children get off the bus,' Bruno added. 'There were no adults except the bus driver on the bus. 'I wasn't thinking clearly. The children were all panicked. A child doesn't think; they wait for help,' he added: 'I think it was a miracle nobody was more seriously injured.' The driver of the bus has since been hailed as a hero for avoiding a more serious incident. Dr John Fisher, who helped rescue students, told the BBC: 'It feels that he tried to ditch it to avoid a head-on crash... it's a bit of a miracle.' 'We think the driver is a bit of a hero,' he added. And James West, who also lives locally, told the Daily Echo: 'I think he was a bit of a hero in all honesty, because he could've taken out cars, houses. He could've taken out pedestrians. 'It sounds like he's had to do the best he can to try and minimise. If you suddenly slam the anchors on, would it tip over?' A father of one of the passengers said his 17-year-old son thought the crash happened quickly and could not see what caused the incident. Scott Agass said: 'We are just waiting for our son who was onboard. They are not in the bus at the moment, I think they are all out. He said he was sitting there with a blanket and a monitor on his finger. 'He doesn't really know what happened or what caused it. I suppose it just happened so quick. All he saw was that it crashed and gone in the river.' Keith Trenchard, from Eastleigh, had been out with his family when he came across the scene. He said: 'We arrived 20 minutes after and it was all closed off. They have the divers here as well from the police and the fire brigade.' Local resident Jonathan Holdstock said: 'It was half ten when I heard a bunch of sirens. When I heard it was a bus in the river I didn't believe it.' Inspector Andy Tester, of Hampshire Constabulary, said a total of 20 people were onboard the bus, 19 of which were passengers. He said: 'It must have been terrifying and my thoughts are very much with what the children and the driver on the bus, who must have had a terrifying experience.' Mr Tester added that several people including the driver were trapped on board when emergency services arrived. He said: 'There were a large number of specialist resources helping to get people out of the bus. The double-decker bus left the road and ended up in the water in Eastleigh, Hampshire 'Some people had got themselves out of the bus, and it was obviously important to us to triage the injured people, to assess the people who were still stuck in the bus, and to make sure we had accounted for everyone.' Mr Tester also praised the bravery of members of the public and emergency services who helped at the scene. He said: 'So there was a lot of bravery shown by many people who were first on scene, who didn't have training to work in water and weren't equipped, but quickly backed up by our fire and ambulance colleagues who did have the right training to make it safe and make it a safe working environment.' Mr Tester added: 'We believe that everyone, every passenger on the bus, was a student heading to Barton Peveril College. 'And I would stress at this point that all of those, all all of those people, their families, have been notified, and that has all been done so they are in touch with their loved ones.' He continued: 'There's no indication at the moment as to why the bus left the road, and that is what's going to form part of our immediate investigation. 'We hope to open the road within 12 hours. That is our best hope. 'We will do the best we can to shorten that but, as you'll appreciate, we have to do a thorough examination of the scene, and then there's a complex recovery of getting the bus out of the river.' A spokesperson for South Central Ambulance Service said: 'We have sent multiple units to the incident including five ambulances, two helicopters, and specialist response units. 'We're continuing to support and assess patients on scene. All patients have been removed from the bus. Three high priority patients are being taken to hospital. Around 14 with less serious injuries are being treated on scene.' At least five ambulances were at the scene on a residential road in the Hampshire town on Thursday A spokesperson for Barton Peveril Sixth Form College has said: 'We are aware of an incident involving the College 607 Bus. College staff are working closely with the police to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. 'We ask that people do not attend the actual scene. For concerned parents, an Incident Centre has been established at The Hub at Bishopstoke. 'An officer and college staff will be available at the Hub to provide updates and address any questions you may have.' A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: 'We are currently dealing with an incident on Bishopstoke Road in Eastleigh, after College Bus 607 for Barton Peveril students left the carriageway into a river. 'Emergency services are in attendance and the road has been closed so please avoid the area. 'It is anticipated the road may be closed for up to 12 hours for investigation and recovery work. 'Everyone on the bus has been accounted for and all injured persons are being treated by the ambulance service.' A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: 'We are on scene of an RTC involving one double decker bus that went off the road in Bishopstoke, Eastleigh. 'Fire crews from Eastleigh, St Mary's, Redbridge, Hightown and Portchester are in attendance alongside emergency service colleagues. 'People are asked to avoid the area to help emergency services deal with this incident.' Richard Tyldsley, Bluestar general manager, said: 'One of our buses, carrying students to Barton Peveril College, was involved in an incident earlier this morning in Bishopstoke Road, Eastleigh. 'Reports suggest the bus left the highway and came to rest in a shallow river. 'There were 19 passengers on-board at the time. Our driver and at least two of the passengers have confirmed injuries, and we are awaiting further updates on the status of others on-board. 'We do not currently have full details of their injuries and are following their progress closely. 'Our thoughts are with everybody involved, and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery. 'At this time, we do not know the circumstances behind this incident and are carrying out an immediate investigation. We are also assisting the police as they carry out their own inquiries.'
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
HSE begins ‘urgent examination' after two ambulances catch fire in a week
An urgent examination is under way after two HSE ambulances went on fire over the last week. The HSE said a new community paramedic response ambulance, awaiting entry to service, caught fire in a vehicle commissioning facility in Tullamore, Co Offaly on Thursday. It said a recently-commissioned emergency ambulance was destroyed in a blaze while parked adjacent to Castlebar ambulance station in Co Mayo early last Saturday. The HSE said neither vehicle was in use at the time of the fires and no patients or staff were injured. READ MORE 'While the two vehicles affected are different makes, models, and types, an initial technical examination has identified a possible issue, which is now being urgently explored in further detail with vehicle suppliers,' it said in a statement on Friday. In line with health and safety requirements, all staff on duty had been alerted to the two incidents, it added. The HSE said staff have been advised to remain vigilant and reminded of fire safety, vehicle evacuation and incident reporting procedures. It said services operated by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) for the public were 'unaffected by the current precautionary measures, which will remain under constant review'. The NAS currently has 437 patient-carrying vehicles, including emergency and critical care ambulances and intermediate care vehicles. The HSE said all NAS vehicles were subject to a crew inspection at the commencement of each shift, as well as a safety inspection every eight weeks. It said all vehicles were constructed in line with the relevant national and EU standards, were serviced and maintained in line with manufacturers' guidelines, and replaced at five years or after covering 350,000km, in line with the NAS fleet replacement policy. 'A serious incident management team has been established, and both incidents are being managed in line with the HSE's incident management framework,' it added. A HSE internal audit of the national ambulance fleet last year found the budget allocation for last year was 50 per cent deficient in terms of the funding needs of the service. It identified that some emergency ambulances were being kept in service outside the recommended usage of five years, with 66 ambulances listed as five or six years old.
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Lorry crashes into car in Wolverhampton after driver taken ill
A lorry crashed into a car in Wolverhampton after the driver of the HGV became unwell behind the wheel. Two ambulances, a paramedic officer and an air ambulance attended the scene on Penn Road at 09:14 BST on Friday, where three people were treated. The driver of the car was taken to New Cross Hospital for potentially serious injuries, while a boy was assessed by paramedics and discharged at the scene. West Midlands Ambulance Service said the lorry driver had suffered a suspected medical episode and following treatment, was also taken to hospital. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
