'Imposter' sent out on 999 calls

An inquiry has been launched into claims that a woman went out on 999 calls after fooling ambulance staff into believing she was a trainee paramedic.

She reportedly walked into an ambulance station with a letter stating she needed to go out with crews as part of her training. It is believed that no one checked her credentials and she worked at stations in Sussex for more than two weeks last month before it emerged she was an imposter.

The woman was found out after another trainee paramedic alerted managers, The Brighton Argus reported.

Officials at the South East Coast Ambulance Service said there was no evidence that patients had been put at risk, but they were treating the incident "extremely seriously".