AN AMBULANCE used by trained mountain rescue volunteers has been damaged by callous thieves.

Woodhead Mountain Rescue were out at Salter’s Brook on Wednesday night for a routine training exercise but when they returned they found a brick had been thrown at their 4x4 ambulance.

The vandals caused damage to two windows and a wing mirror.

And the group soon discovered a Satnav, programmed with routes to critical rescue meeting points, had been stolen.

Scott Roberts told the Examiner: “A team leader was out with a group of trainees and returned to the vehicle at around 8.30pm to find the rear windscreen smashed.

“It’s disappointing that someone could do something like this to an emergency vehicle.

“One of the team has had to take a day off work to take the vehicle to the garage.

“We had to get it repaired as it is constantly on call.”

He added: “We always have different drivers who may not know the locations for meeting points so a Satnav is a valuable tool to us.

“It could make a difference to us getting to a rescue quicker.”

He urged anyone with information to contact him on 07429 025006 or the police on 101.