PATIENTS' lives are being put at risk by thieves who are stealing helmets used by motorbike paramedics, it was revealed today.

The London Ambulance Service said four incidents in the past month alone had left motorcycle staff unable to respond to 999 calls while they waited for a replacement helmet.

The helmets, which cost £600 to replace, are fitted with special radio equipment which allows control room staff to update riders on the road.

Motorcycle response co-ordinator Shaun Rock said: "[This] means our staff are not able to respond to patients in a life-threatening condition while they wait for a replacement."

Mr Rock said the helmets would only work with ambulance radios so were useless to thieves.

In one theft, paramedic Joe Phillips was treating a baby in Islington when his helmet was removed from his bike by a teenager. He said: "When I came out of the house a teenager was wearing my helmet. When he saw me he laughed and ran off [and] I wasn't able to respond to 999 calls a few hours later."

Another had his helmet stolen and thrown over a fence. He had been treating a man with a serious head injury in Lisson Grove and was unable to answer emergency calls for three hours as the helmet was cracked.

Sorry, but we cannot display user comments at the moment.

• 

  Lenny Henry: 'Maybe one day we can have a black Doctor Who'

  As he wins the outstanding newcomer prize at the Evening Standard theatre awards for his role as Othello, Lenny Henry has come a long way from black and white minstrels

  ---

• 

  Spread of the Jedhead

  Jedward, voted off the X-Factor this weekend, are the most obvious proponents of the sticky-uppy look - but the style crosses boundaries of age, gender, sexuality and taste, says Nick Curtis

  ---

Sky in plot to hire students on the cheap

Sky News is currently recruiting students as reporters for its coverage of next year's general election. However, the opportunity doesn't quite seem so appealing

All stories