A car park attendant was allegedly drafted in as a security guard at a hospital where unions complain protection for staff is already poor.

The man, who has not been trained in control and restraint techniques, was patrolling corridors of Airedale General Hospital, Steeton. Gary Baker, area organiser of the General, Municipal and Boilermakers' Union, has written to Airedale NHS Trust boss Bob Allen expressing his concern about the move.

He is also demanding the reinstatement of security officer Joe Brady by his employers, CP Plus - the contract company running the hospital's car parks and security.

He resigned after suffering a trauma when identifying two female mental health patients who were killed on the Leeds to Skipton line, but later unsuccessfully asked for his job back.

Mr Baker said: "I have written a letter to Mr Allen expressing concern that untrained staff are being used for security duty. There have been instances where untrained staff have been taken from car park duty to do security duty."

Mr Baker said it was important that security staff were trained in control and restraint techniques because they could be threatened with knives, syringes and spat upon by patients and visitors.

He said he was also investigating claims that the hospital had no security staff on duty last Friday and only one working on Saturday. He also understood there was a shortage of security staff on News Year's Day, New Year's Eve and on Christmas Eve.

Staff, who are concerned about their safety, were holding a protest meeting at the hospital today. Mr Allen said he had spoken to the manager responsible for security and was awaiting a report.

Ian Langdon, CP Plus's senior operations executive, said: "We won't discuss company matters."