'Dangerous and idiotic': Ambulances on 999 calls hit by bricks hurled from bridge in Birmingham

'The potential for this to have turned into an incident which resulted in serious injury or worse is plain to see,' says ambulance service spokesperson

An ambulance with a broken windscreen after a brick attack in Birmingham (West Midlands Ambulance Service)

Two ambulances have been taken off the road after bricks were hurled at them from a bridge in “dangerous and idiotic” attacks in Birmingham.

One of the ambulances had blue lights flashing as it responded to a 999 call and the other was carrying a patient when they were targeted on Tuesday afternoon.

Nathan Hudson, emergency services operations delivery director for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), said: “It is hard to put into words how angry and disappointing these incidents are.

“Throwing a brick at any vehicle is dangerous and idiotic, but when it is an ambulance responding to an emergency, it beggars belief.”

The first ambulance was racing to a patient with breathing difficulties when it was hit by a brick as it went under an underpass in the Perry Barr area in north Birmingham at 2.30pm.

It suffered a damaged windscreen and had to be taken out of service. A second ambulance was dispatched, resulting in a 10-minute delay in paramedics reaching the patient.

Half an hour later the second ambulance was itself hit by a brick at the same underpass as its crew transported the patient to hospital.

An ambulance service spokesman said: “On this occasion, the crew heard a loud bang as they drove along, but it was only once they arrived at hospital that they discovered a dent in the ‘A-post’ just above the windscreen and driver’s door.”

He said damage to the two vehicles would cost hundreds of pounds to repair.

Mr Hudson added: “Never mind that two vehicles are off the road which could be out helping to save lives, this was a horrendous incident for the staff involved.

“They do a difficult job at the best of times, but to have this sort of incident happen has understandably left them shocked and upset. I am just thankful that no-one was hurt.

“The potential for this to have turned into an incident which resulted in serious injury or worse is plain to see.

“I am therefore asking anyone who was in the area who saw anything or who has CCTV of that area to contact West Midlands Police as soon as possible so that those responsible are brought to justice.”

The brick attacks are the latest in a string of incidents involving emergency crews in England.

In March, a man was cautioned by police for assaulting paramedics who had parked their ambulance in a Birmingham street after responding to an emergency call.

A month earlier woman was arrested after leaving an abusive note on an ambulance outside her house in Tunstall, Staffordshire, while in November last year a disgruntled neighbour left a message criticising paramedics' parking as they fought to save the life of a critically ill man in Birmingham.

A paramedic had a noxious substance thrown in her face by men who had flagged down her ambulance in apparent distress in Tottenham, north-east London, in July last year.

Emergency workers have called for tougher penalties for people who target ambulance crews.