Police release man arrested after theft from Portsmouth ambulance on Christmas Day
A 41-YEAR-OLD man from Portsmouth arrested after the theft of a medical bag on Christmas Day has been released under investigation.
The kit was stolen directly from an ambulance as paramedics treated a patient in All Saints Road just after 5.45pm on December 25.
Branded '˜idiotic' by a host of city leaders, the actions of the thief responsible for the crime meant crews were unable to use their ambulance while a replacement pack was found.Â
In a statement on Facebook, South Central Ambulance Service said: '˜Any theft of essential equipment takes our vehicle and staff off the road and potentially puts lives at risk.
'˜The bag is carried on every frontline ambulance vehicle and is used at every incident that we attend.
'˜It contains lifesaving equipment that is essential for our day-to-day operations.
'˜Due to this theft, the vehicle was temporarily unavailable until replacement equipment was sourced. Fortunately the patient and the crew were not harmed.'