Paramedics responding to a call about a girl suffering a cardiac arrest were attacked by thugs – who pelted them with bricks, tables and chairs.
Ambulance staff rushed to a new-build housing estate to what they were told a 13-year-old girl had suffered a heart attack.
But the call turned out to be a hoax, and when the hero paramedics arrived at the address, they were greeted with a barrage of abuse and heavy objects.
The hoax call stated a 13-year-old girl was suffering a cardiac arrest at a house in Eastleigh, Hampshire, on Wednesday evening.
But when 999 operators sent a rapid response car and an ambulance to the scene, they were pelted with items from the property’s upstairs windows.
Representatives from South Central Ambulance Service (Scas) then called police – who had to gain access to the home to confirm the call had been a hoax.
Sharing details of the incident on the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) NHS Foundation Trust Facebook page at about 9.25pm they said the ordeal “beggars belief” and the paramedics were left “extremely shaken”.
In a statement, they said: “It beggars belief what happened to our staff in Eastleigh earlier this evening.
“We received a 999 call informing us that a 13-year-old girl was in cardiac arrest at this property.
“We immediately sent a rapid response car and ambulance but when they arrived they were met by a barrage of bricks, glasses, tables, chairs and other items from the upstairs windows.
“We of course informed the police as well as send more staff to the scene as the original vehicles were being damaged and the first responders we had sent were extremely shaken.
“Police officers then had to gain access to the property to confirm it was a hoax call.
“What makes this even worse is that all the staff and vehicles we sent were diverted from local people in genuine pain and distress with real illnesses, real injuries and real emergencies by our equally frustrated and appalled control room team.
“So if you’ve been waiting longer for us this evening in the local area, this is the reason why.
“Let’s hope the person/people taken away by Hampshire Police from the property are having the largest book at the local station thrown in their direction.”
Hampshire Constabulary said two teenagers, aged 13 and 14, were attested on suspicion of assault and wasting police time.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “We were called to an incident in Stranding Street, Eastleigh at 5.40pm yesterday. Officers attended and made two arrests.
“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.”
Both teenagers are still in custody this morning (Thus), police said.
A SCAS spokesperson added: “It beggars belief what happened to our staff.
“We were told someone in the property was in cardiac arrest so this prioritised the call above other less immediately life-threatening emergencies.”
