Shropshire Star

Ash cloud grounds air ambulance

The volcanic ash cloud caused problems for emergency services in Shropshire over the weekend as the air ambulance was unable to respond to incidents across the county.

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The volcanic ash cloud caused problems for emergency services in Shropshire over the weekend as the air ambulance was unable to respond to incidents across the county.

A motocross rider who suffered a broken leg during an event near Shrewsbury, faced a longer journey to hospital as the erupting Icelandic volcano, which has grounded flights across the UK, prevented paramedics from flying to the site.

Claire Thomas, spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said they received calls to three separate incidents at the motocross event at Allfields, Condover yesterday.

She said: "The first call was at 11.30am to reports of a teenage boy who had been injured. We had an ambulance on scene and conveyed him to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with a suspected fractured collar bone.

"The next call was at 2.50pm to the same place. This time it was a man in his 30s who had got a chest injury and a suspected dislocated shoulder and he was also taken by land ambulance to the RSH.

"The third call was just after 4pm to a teenage boy who had got a broken leg. We had an ambulance and a rapid response vehicle in attendance and he was taken to the RSH.

"The air ambulance was off-line yesterday due to the ash cloud.

"Personnel were deployed in 4x4 vehicles."

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