SHOCK figures have disclosed there were 403 assaults on North West ambulance service staff in a two-year period to April, 2009.

Now, the GMB which is the union for ambulance workers, has called for “zero tolerance” on such assaults and separate incidents of verbal abuse which totalled 619 over the same period.

According to the GMB, less than half of physical assaults in North West resulted in a prosecution Justin Bowden GMB national officer for ambulance services, said that nationwide, at least three ambulance workers were assaulted every day.

“That is as shocking as it is unacceptable. Being attacked at work is not an occupational hazard for ambulance workers and the only way to confront this issue is with zero tolerance. Ambulance workers deserve full protection from their employers and the law.”