A paramedic has told of her and a colleague being left "shaken and upset" after their ambulance was attacked by yobs with fireworks in South Croydon.

Claire Watkins and emergency ambulance crew member Simone Schluter were parked in Blenheim Park Road finishing paperwork after visiting a patient when their vehicle was targeted.

Thugs pulled up in a car about 10.45pm on Thursday (November 3) and began lighting fireworks under the ambulance.

Ms Watkins said: “I thought it was just a car parking and I didn’t really think anything of it. The next thing we saw were sparks flying and then there was a fizz, a pop and a bang.

"We saw lots of colours from beneath the ambulance and realised that people were lighting fireworks under the vehicle.

“We were really shaken and upset. It scared the hell out us and it’s scary to think what could have happened if the firework exploded or if we were treating a patient in the back of the ambulance.”

The vehicle had to be taken out of service after the attack.

Lucas Hawkes-Frost, assistant director of operations for London Ambulance Service, said: “This can limit a crew’s ability to respond to potentially life-threatening emergencies.

"While we were able to get a replacement vehicle on the road quickly, these mindless acts do have an impact on the response we’re able to give Londoners.

“Incidents like this also impact on the safety of our staff. They come to work to care for people and actions like this erode the sense of safety they should expect."