AMBULANCE bosses have agreed to order ten new ambulances – but risk footing the £800,000 bill if a leasing company cannot be found in time.Last month, the Star revealed that only ten of 19 new Mercedes ambulances would initially be bought, for delivery before December.

By Tracey Sparling

AMBULANCE bosses have agreed to order ten new ambulances – but risk footing the £800,000 bill if a leasing company cannot be found in time.

Last month, the Star revealed that only ten of 19 new Mercedes ambulances would initially be bought, for delivery before December.

But the East Anglian Ambulance Trust is confident that a leasing company can be found by June, when the bill for the vehicles is due.

Then the leasing company will pick up the tab, to own the ambulances and be responsible for their maintenance.

It will take until December for the ten ambulance chassis to be built to the EAAT's design.

Director of finance and business, Anna Bennett, told directors at a board meeting in Norwich that their current leasing company had decided not to deal with specialist vehicles any more.

But she added: "There are many leasing companies out there who do tender for A&E vehicles."

The decision to initially buy just ten new Mercedes ambulances costing £800,000 instead of 19, was taken at last month's board meeting.

The trust decided to renew the lease on another nine Iveco ambulances rather than replace them at the same time, which will save £100,000.

At the time, Paul Henry assistant director of operations admitted frontline staff would be disappointed at the decision.