Man arrested after life-saving medical kit stolen from ambulance at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Police were called by security at Sunderland Royal Hospital at 5.25am this morning (Wednesday) reporting a man acting suspiciously on the site.

He was then seen to enter a parked ambulance before attempting to make off with two bags containing crucial medical equipment.

Police said hospital staff and security reacted quickly to track his movements – and it was only a matter of time before a suspect ran straight into the arms of patrolling police officers who were arriving at the scene.

After the incident, a 44-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of theft from a motor vehicle and remains in police custody at this time.

Chief Inspector Nicola Wearing, of Northumbria Police, praised the swift response of everyone involved.

She said: “It almost beggars belief that somebody would look to steal crucial medical equipment that is there to ultimately help save people’s lives.

“We all know of the outstanding contribution that has been and continues to be made by everyone associated with the NHS, so it is incredibly disappointing for someone to show a total disregard for their selfless sacrifice in this way.

“I am delighted that we were able to retrieve the supplies and safely return them to the hospital, and we will now be interviewing a suspect who remains in custody in connection with this incident.

“This positive outcome was only possible because of some outstanding teamwork between hospital staff, security and our response officers who were on hand within minutes and took decisive action.

“I would like to thank everyone involved – and hope our robust response sends out a strong message to would-be thieves across our region. You will be identified, you will be pursued, and you will be brought into custody.”

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) Strategic Commander Stuart Holliday added: “The thought of anyone breaking into an emergency ambulance whilst a crew is handing over a patient is truly shocking.

"Thefts from a vehicle such as this can result in an ambulance being taken off the road until it is restocked, leaving the vehicle and crew unavailable for someone else in need in the local area, not to mention the cost involved to our service in replacing equipment.

"Thankfully, the equipment was retrieved quickly in this case, and therefore did not impact on the care our crew were able to provide.

"We hope the speedy response will serve as a reminder that such crimes will be acted upon quickly and those responsible will be apprehended and brought to justice."