Police officers express 'grave concern' at driving ambulances during strikes

Police officers have expressed “grave concern” after being told they may be called on to drive ambulances when paramedics go on strike this month.

Under national contingency plans, it was understood that military personnel would be drafted in to help drive ambulances when the walkouts go ahead just before Christmas.

Now it has emerged that police officers may also be called upon to help drive the emergency healthcare vehicles.

The Police Federation, the body representing around 140,000 rank and file officers, said that “police are not ambulance drivers or qualified paramedics”.

Steve Hartshorn, its national chairman, said the request is of “grave concern” as he warned that putting officers in ambulances would mean they are “not performing their police duties”.

The staff association said that the “thin blue line is already overstretched and under pressure like never before”.

Ambulance crews in England will strike on 21 and 28 December as part of coordinated industrial…