WOMAN AMBULANCE WORKER

A WOMAN AMBULANCE WORKER WAS ASSAULTED

A WOMAN AMBULANCE WORKER WAS THREATENED WITH A KNIFE

A woman ambulance worker was assaulted and threatened with a knife by a gang of youths while on an emergency call in Leyton. The incident happened in broad daylight in Walnut Road. The woman, in her 30s, was driving in a marked paramedics' car and had stopped outside the address she had been called to when she saw a disturbance involving 30 men. Four of the men approached her car, one of them holding a knife. She was told to get out of the car and one of the men demanded her protective vest, she refused and managed to call the police. Officers quickly arrived on the scene but the group had dispersed. The incident on July 12 has prompted the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to call for people to show respect for its staff. LAS assistant director of operations for east London, Jason Killens, said: "We were shocked to hear about this incident. Violence against our staff is totally unacceptable but all too often it is becoming a regular part of the job. "It is very sad when those who are providing emergency services are attacked by people from the very community they serve." According to LAS there were 341 incidents of physical abuse against ambulance staff in 2005/06 - an average of almost one a day. There were also 1,172 instances of verbal abuse over the same period of time. Mr Killens said: "Our staff should be able to do their job and attend to those needing our help without the fear of attack or intimidation." The incident happened at about 6.15pm. Police say the four men involved were black, aged about 24. They were all wearing blue or grey hooded tops with the hoods up, blue denim jeans, white trainers and black bandanas covering their faces.