HERE is a glimpse of the new £75,000 state-of-the-art ambulances taking to roads of Dorset.

The vehicles have been tailor-made to the requirements of Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust after it set up a team to suggest what it felt was most needed in its ambulances.

The new ambulances have been kitted out in Germany and feature a number of devices to reduce the need for paramedics and crews to lift patients - so reducing the risk of back injuries for the ambulance staff.

Hydraulic stretcher lifts, pulleys and ramps and a lower level rear section have been incorporated in the 18 new ambulances being introduced across the county.

The ambulances also have a "trauma wall" fitted with hospital-standard life-saving devices and CCTV cameras to film incidents onboard in a bid to deter violent attacks or abuse of 999 crews by troublesome patients.

First published: Oct 1