THE military cannot replace highly trained ambulance workers and expect the service to run as normal, a union official warned today. 

Ministers held a Cobra meeting to discuss plans for armed services personnel to cover for striking workers, including Border Force and ambulance staff. 

In the run-up to the planned industrial action, a formal request has been made to the civil authorities (Maca) protocol for the NHS and Border Force to receive military help, Downing Street said.