Ambulancemen held over theft from patients

An investigation is today under way into claims that two ambulancemen stole £700 from an elderly heart attack victim.

The two men, who work for the London Ambulance Service, are being investigated by Scotland Yard over claims they took money from the 87-year-old man as he they took him to hospital.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We can confirm the arrest of two male London Ambulance Service paramedics at an ambulance station in London last Wednesday on suspicion of theft."

Meanwhile, a second man has come forward with claims that paramedics took money from his wallet while he was in an ambulance. Kabir Miah said he was driving through St John's Wood, on the same evening the elderly man was allegedly robbed, when he felt dizzy and collapsed.

As he was being treated by the paramedics who arrived to help him, they went through his pockets and stole £20 from his wallet, he said.

Mr Miah, 26, a former salesman from central London, said: "I rang my girlfriend to tell her how I felt and she told me to stop driving. I pulled off St John's Wood Terrace and just passed out."

An ambulance was called and Mr Miah said that although he could not move, he was aware of what was going on inside the vehicle.

"I could still hear everything," he said. "The two men were making derogatory remarks about my girlfriend. They grabbed my thigh and took my wallet from my back pocket.

"I could hear them saying, 'What shall we do? Shall we take the whole lot or split it?' I came round and immediately went through my wallet and noticed that £20 was missing and that all of my credit cards had been flipped around.

"I confronted them and told them to let me out of the ambulance and called the police."

Mr Miah's girlfriend, Ayesha Mia, who had taken a taxi to St John's Wood to be at Mr Miah's side, said: "The first paramedic arrived by car at around 8.15pm and immediately began checking Kabir's temperature and sugar levels. He left the scene after two more paramedics arrived in an ambulance.

"I asked them if I could accompany Kabir to hospital. They wouldn't let me into the ambulance and told me to follow them in my boyfriend's car.

"The ambulance remained stationary for around 20 minutes, so I began knocking on the back to see why there was a delay." A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said that officers were investigating Mr Miah's claims.

London Ambulance Service said two members of staff had been suspended.

A spokesman said: "We are cooperating fully with police enquiries. We have launched our own investigation into the allegation, which we consider to be extremely serious."

Two men had been bailed until 26 January, police said.