Teenage girls arrested after ambulance pelted with bricks, glass and furniture during hoax call-out
Police called in following 'barrage' from upstairs window, health boss says
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Two teenage girls have been arrested after ambulance crews were pelted with a “barrage” of bricks, glass and furniture as they attended what turned out to be a hoax call.
Paramedics were sent by South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to a house in Eastleigh, Hampshire, on Wednesday where they had been told – falsely – that someone inside was in cardiac arrest.
But as they arrived at the home in Stranding Street at 5.30pm, the items were thrown at them, leaving the team “extremely shaken” and forcing them to call in police help.
Paul Jefferies, assistant director of operations at SCAS, said: “Following an emergency 999 call received from a house in Eastleigh, we immediately sent a rapid response car and an ambulance to the address as we were informed someone inside the house was in cardiac arrest.
“Staff in the two vehicles that arrived at the property were met with a barrage of bricks, glass, plastic tables and chairs and other items which were being thrown at them from the upstairs windows of the property.
“The staff immediately requested assistance from Hampshire police who were required to help gain access to the property where it was confirmed there was no patient inside.
“Actions such as these can put other people’s lives in danger as the original staff who were sent to this location, along with additional SCAS staff to provide them with support and check their physical and mental wellbeing, would have been unable to respond to patients in the local area who had dialled 999 with genuine emergencies around that time.
“Fortunately the staff involved, though extremely shaken, were uninjured and later able to continue their shifts.
“We are working closely with Hampshire Constabulary and will continue to assist their investigation.”
A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “A 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl, both from Eastleigh, were arrested on suspicion of assault, cause of wasteful employment of police and use of threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour to cause harassment/alarm/distress.
“They remain in custody at this time.”
PA