HAMPSHIRE'S struggling ambulance service is renting out its vehicles and staff to private events, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Despite failing to meet its performance targets, the service hires out its facilities on the busiest night of the week.

A Hampshire MP is so outraged he has pledged to ask questions about it in the House of Commons.

Fareham MP Mark Hoban said he feared it was putting vital emergency services at risk.

A prominent health watchdog has also vowed to quiz ambulance bosses over the money-spinning project.

Winchester and Eastleigh Community Health Council is set to raise the issue at the next Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust board meeting.

Joint chief officer Christine Allen said: "It's not something we were aware of. I shall certainly ask about it."

The Daily Echo contacted Hampshire Ambulance Service to book an ambulance for a fictitious amateur football match on a Saturday evening next month.

We were told it "should not be a problem".

An ambulance and two crew members would cost £67 an hour plus VAT, we were told.

We were told to put our request in writing so that staff and ambulance availability could be checked.

The revelation comes as Hampshire Ambulance failed to meet its response time targets for Hampshire during August.

But Chris Smith, acting director of operations at Hampshire Ambulance Service, insisted any private hire events had no impact on 999 services.

For the full story see pages two and three of today's Daily Echo.