AUSTERITY-HIT ambulance staff have been subjected to nearly 10,000 violent attacks while working in recent years, a GMB union investigation published today reveals.

Underpaid blue-light crews were bitten, head-butted, spat at and struck with weapons at least 9,565 times across Britain and Northern Ireland between 2017-18 and 2021-22, freedom of information requests show.

Workers across the Midlands were particularly badly affected, with 4,318 assaults recorded, the general union warned.