HOSPITAL bosses are warning staff to be on their guard following an attack on a security guard.

The man was attacked and injured after he challenged a man hanging around the grounds of Airedale General Hospital, in Skipton Road, Steeton.

Warning notices have now been posted around the hospital and come in the wake of three attacks on women in the Lund Park area of Keighley in the last few weeks.

However, police have told the Herald they are not linking this incident with the Keighley attacks.

The incident happened around 11.30pm last Friday when a security guard spotted a man acting suspiciously at the rear of the hospital in the vicinity of the nurses' homes.

He approached the man, who assaulted him before running off.

West Yorkshire Police's helicopter air support unit was called out shortly after the incident.

Officers used its powerful search-light to comb the area and look for the attacker, but he was not found.

The security guard, who has not been named, is now back at work and hospital chiefs hope he will be able to give a description of the man who attacked him.

Meanwhile, notices have been posted at hospital exits used by staff warning them of the dangers of walking around the hospital grounds late at night.

"You are advised to be extremely careful and vigilant when walking around the hospital grounds at night," they say.

The notices, headed "a warning to all staff", add that workers should never walk by themselves, but if they have to they should carry a personal attack alarm, or ask a member of security to accompany them.

Richard Fisher, Airedale NHS Trust's head of commercial services, commented: "The security guard challenged the man because he was in an odd location for that time of night.

"He only received cuts and scratches and he is now back at work so we will be talking to him again.

"We've put up these warning notices because we just want people to be cautious."

Mr Fisher added that the hospital operated an escort service for staff working at night, where security staff would accompany them to and from their vehicles if they requested.

He said personal attack alarms had also been handed out to staff, but refused to comment on how many night security guards were employed.

"There are security staff on at night," he said.

Airedale NHS Trust recently reviewed its security arrangements, handing them over to another company which is also due to handle its car parking arrangements.

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