A TEENAGER has been charged with actually bodily harm after an incident which left a paramedic with facial injuries.

James Tatino, 18, of Cavendish Street, Darwen, was due before Blackburn magistrates today after an incident in Greenway Street, Darwen at 8pm on Friday.

The paramedic was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary but later discharged.

Ambulance staff in East Lancashire have been left shaken after the latest attack on a paramedic.

Despite a no tolerance campaign to combat physical and verbal abuse against the emergency services there continues to be a problem.

Recently, Colne Paramedic David Mitchell was attacked as he helped stretcher a young woman to an ambulance in Brierfield.

A young man who was with her kicked him in the kidneys and badly bruised his ankle. Mr Mitchell was off work for ten days. Figures published last week showed that there had been 46 violent incidents involving Lancashire Ambulance staff in the past three months. In the 12 months to the end of April the number of acts of aggression against 999 staff had almost doubled from 68 to 112.

This increase means Lancashire Ambulance staff now face similar risks to their counterparts in Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

Anthony Marsh, director of operations with Lancashire Ambulance Service, said: "This is an on-going situation.

"We get a lot of youths shouting and swearing and this is terrible. I am appalled that my staff are doing the best they can for patients in Lancashire but that these small number of people continue to do this."

"Lancashire Ambulance Service will do everything it can to deliver high quality patient care but not at our staff's expense." Mr Marsh added there needed to be more public awareness concerning the zero tolerance campaign initiated by the government.