PARAMEDICS provide an essential public service for the people of East Lancashire.

They do not deserve to be abused by drunken idiots who they are trying to help.

But this is what commonly happens to ambulancemen and women across Lancashire, especially when dealing with weekend calls in town centres.

Plans to ban people caught abusing paramedics from local pubs and clubs have now been unveiled.

The Stop Abuse campaign, which was launched yesterday, aims to act as a deterrent to those who cannot be prosecuted through the courts.

A huge proportion of calls dealt with by paramedics are alcohol related, particularly at weekends.

Having to deal with abusive patients puts a further drain on resources which could be needed at a real medical emergency.

That is why a zero tolerance approach needs to be adopted.

Police and publicans are backing the initiative and the authorities should ensure that any persistent offenders are dealt with in the courts.