IT COULD have been a life or death situation when an air ambulance was called to a Suffolk school to help a child who was unconscious after falling from a set of wall bars.

IT COULD have been a life or death situation when an air ambulance was called to a Suffolk school to help a child who was unconscious after falling from a set of wall bars.

But little did qualified paramedic Darren Fowler know that it was not a real-life drama and was really a set up as part of his assessment to become a qualified air ambulance pilot.

When they landed at Mendlesham primary school on Wednesday Mr Fowler rushed into the school hall with classroom assistant Diane Colchester who was supposed to have made the call.

But when he got to the scene it was actually just a dummy which the paramedic had to perform a series of treatments on as part of a surprise assessment.

Catherine Catchpole, headteacher of the school said the children had a fantastic time and a special assembly was held afterwards with a question and answer session for the pupils.

Keith Hotchkiss is professional development manager for the East Anglian Ambulance Trust and said that paramedics have to go through a series of tests when they apply to be on the air ambulance which includes being able to navigate the pilot to the right place.