Sickening moment brazen thief smashes his way into ambulance to steal paramedics' rucksacks while they are busy treating a patient

Daily Mail​

23-05-2025

A man has been caught on CCTV smashing his way into an ambulance before stealing two paramedics' rucksacks while they were treating a patient.
The locked ambulance had been parked in Sandridge Close, Harrow, north-west London, and the crew were inside the patient's home at around 5pm on May 6 when the thief shamelessly broke in.
In the footage captured by the vehicle's CCTV, the man can be seen lingering near the ambulance dressed in dark clothing with a red cap and white shoes.
He then appears to ensure the coast is clear before throwing a 'missile' at the window, jumping head first through the opening and grabbing two rucksacks belonging to paramedics before fleeing the scene.
The Metropolitan Police has now launched a theft investigation with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and appealed for public help in identifying the man.
LAS acting Chief Executive Dr Fenella Wrigley said: 'Our ambulance crew were responding to an emergency and while helping their patient, a thief has stolen their bags and damaged an ambulance.
'To deliberately target our crew in this way is appalling and they are understandably extremely upset.
'The damage caused to the ambulance means it is now off the road being repaired, unable to respond to patients. The money to repair the damage would be better spent on caring for our patients.
The thief then grabs two rucksacks belonging to paramedics before fleeing the scene
'We will not tolerate attacks on our staff or our vehicles and would urge the public to contact the police if they have any information.'
LAS has fitted ambulances and response cars with a crew safety system which includes CCTV, panic buttons and electronic tracking.
The service also has a dedicated Violence Reduction Unit which encourages colleagues to report all incidents of abuse while also supporting them through the court process.
They have joined ambulance services across the country to launch a 'Work Without Fear' campaign to promote a no-violence culture and keep crews and call handlers safe.
Dr Wrigley added: 'If anyone is violent towards our crews or vandalises our vehicles, they will be caught on our CCTV cameras. We share evidence with the police and we work with the police and the courts to ensure offenders are brought to justice.'
A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are currently investigating a theft from ambulance that took place in Sandridge Close, HA1, on Tuesday May 6.'
The force urged anyone with information to call 101 using the reference 5709/06MAY, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 111 555.