"DISGRACEFUL" and "incredibly sad" is how the attempted theft of fuel from an NHS vehicle has been described, leaving the unit temporarily out of action.

Last Tuesday, during the peak of the fuel crisis, police officers were alerted to the attempted theft of diesel from a mobile cancer care unit, parked at Salisbury District Hospital.

The vehicle belongs to Hope for Tomorrow, a charity which has enabled cancer treatment to take place in areas other than the hospital.

READ MORE: Live updates as fuel supply disruption continues in Salisbury

Salisbury resident Julie Hall has a family member who uses the lorry weekly, and says the recent panic buying of fuel has halted how emergency services should operate.

She said: "How despicable that people are so low that they targeted our most vulnerable ill patients with life-threatening diseases. 

"The air ambulance, blood bikes and ambulances have been placed in jeopardy by the disgraceful behaviour we have seen with people filling up containers.

"The garages should have worked together to limit people to £30 and allow no customers other than essential workers to be served between 6am and 8am."

Highlighting the work of the mobile cancer care unit, Julie said: "The Hope for Tomorrow charity that keeps the bus running is to be applauded for the measures that enabled the bus to provide the vital service today.

"Please think of other people when you are buying fuel - relatives visiting their sick patients in hospital and patients receiving the life-saving treatment they need.

"The last thing chemotherapy patients want is to have to drive for an hour each way to get treated at the hospital when the bus enables them to be treated close to home. It serves all age groups from young to old, and a lot of people can't drive and don't feel like driving when they have had chemo."

Following the attempted theft, a spokesperson from Wiltshire Police said: "We were called to reports of an attempted theft from an NHS vehicle in the early hours of Tuesday morning, September 28, at Salisbury District Hospital.

"No fuel was taken and no damage was caused."

Despite this, Hope for Tomorrow says that damage caused to the unit means it needs to be removed from service for repairs.

A spokesperson said: "The news that someone has attempted to steal fuel from one of our units is incredibly sad and frustrating.

"As well as the associated repair costs, all of which are met by fundraising and donations, this has the potential to disrupt treatment for up to 20 patients each day the unit is out of action."

Stacey Hunter, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust chief executive, added: "It was incredibly sad to hear that someone had attempted to steal fuel last week from the Hope for Tomorrow lorry while it was parked on the hospital site.

"This vehicle is there to provide help, care and support to our patients.

"To think that someone would be so selfish as to put their own need for diesel ahead of the needs of patients is incredibly sad.

"Luckily most people look to help others and have a strong sense of community and togetherness, characteristics that have been demonstrated time and time again over the past 18 months."

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