THUGS delayed an ambulance from taking a toddler with burns to hospital after letting one of the vehicle’s tyres down.

Youths also scratched its paintwork with brick dust and spat over its windows.

Two-year-old Leah Keane, who burnt her back on a radiator, was being treated inside her house with cooling gel at the time of the attack.

She was finally taken to hospital only after police arrived.

The attack in the Halliwell area of Bolton delayed the ambulance for 30 minutes - stopping the paramedics from responding to other emergency 999 calls.

Disgusted

Leah’s disgusted father, Eddie Keane, 30, described the scenes as 'like a warzone'. He said: “It is hard to put what happened into words. I am just disgusted. These youths just did not seem to care about anyone or anything.”

Eddie and his partner, Rebecca Doughty, called paramedics to their home on St Matthew’s Walk at 12.50pm yesterday.

A rapid response vehicle attended but the youths hurled brick dust at the car, spat at its windows and let a tyre down as paramedics were treating Leah inside the house.

A second ambulance then arrived.

Eddie said: “The paramedics were fantastic. They put Leah in the back of the ambulance because they did not want her to be scared. She was being treated with cooling gel. She does not really know what happened.

“I cannot really think why anyone would want to do this.”


It is a scandal. Thankfully Leah was ok but she might not have been. It could have been a patient being treated for a heart attack.
Eddie Keane

Paramedics called police and six officers arrived, one armed with a Taser gun.

The ambulance finally left for hospital 30 minutes later after police arrived.

Eddie added: “An emergency service vehicle has been taken off the road because of this. It is a scandal. Thankfully Leah was ok but she might not have been. It could have been a patient being treated for a heart attack.”

Leah was treated at the Royal Bolton Hospital for a minor burn then released.

The North West Ambulance Service is investigating. A spokesman said the NHS trust would be working with police.

In a statement, police said: “At 12.50pm on Sunday November 8, police were called to St Matthew’s Walk, Bolton, following reports from paramedics of criminal damage. A tyre had been deflated and the rapid response car had been covered in brick dust causing scratches. The windscreen had also been spat on.

“Inquiries to trace the offender are ongoing.”