Controversial plans which would have put private ambulances on the streets of Lancashire and unqualified staff manning 999 vehicles have been withdrawn after ambulance workers threatened to strike.

Industrial action could have crippled the region’s service – which now extends from Crewe to Carlisle – putting patients at risk.

Union leaders, who will now not press ahead with a full ballot, said staff had been furious that North West Ambulance Service bosses were considering changes in how emergency vehicles operate without negotiation.

Read full article: Lancashire Evening Post.