A ZERO tolerance campaign is being launched against those who physically or verbally abuse paramedics.

It comes after nearly 100 incidents were reported countywide last year.

Hampshire Ambulance Service has started its "No Excuse"' campaign, encourage people to think about the potentially lethal consequences of attacking staff. The campaign includes a poster, shown right.

Ambulance bosses say that physical and verbal assaults on staff can lead to delays in carrying out the service's life-saving work.

Just a one-minute delay in receiving vital information during a 999 call can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.

Latest figures reveal that last year there were 92 reports of paramedics, technicians, emergency care practitioners, ambulance care assistants and emergency response assistants being either physically attacked or verbally abused.

Andy Roughton, head of operations, said: "Our members of staff are dedicated to providing first class patient care and often do so under demanding circumstances.

"Any actions that compromise their ability to provide life saving clinical interventions or threaten their safety will not be tolerated."

Those who continue to attack staff will face prosecution in the courts.

Emergency response assistants who take emergency calls in the communications centre are also regularly verbally abused, as well as the service's frontline staff out on the roads.

The ambulance service is to begin a pilot course with conflict management consultants to teach communications centre staff how to deal with abusive callers.

Luci Stephens, head of the control and communications centre, said: "The emergency response assistants are frequently subjected to abuse by callers who have dialled 999 in an emergency. It is understood that callers who dial 999 are in an acutely vulnerable situation and are often extremely distressed and frightened.

"However, deliberate abuse of the staff and the service provided cannot be tolerated."