A new state-of-the-art 4x4 vehicle is helping Yorkshire Ambulance Service reach casualties in the most remote locations in the Craven area.

The Mercedes Sprinter 515 van has been built to incorporate all the facilities of other front-line Accident and Emergency emergency ambulances, but with added off-road capability.

The new vehicle is fitted with the Mercedes selectable four-wheel-drive and low-ratio hill-descent systems, meaning it can handle steep gradients and be driven on untreated roads in snowy and icy conditions.

The vehicle has already proved effective in very poor “green lane” conditions and is capable of travelling through mud up to six inches deep.

A&E locality manager Paul Webster said: “It is perfectly designed for the Craven area and will help us reach more patients in places like remote farms.

“The staff that have used it have said it can go anywhere. It is a lot better and a lot bigger than the off-road ambulances we have at the moment. It is higher off the ground so it can go over more things like boulders and through deep fords.

“There is also a lot more room in the back for us to work with patients.”

Each vehicle costs £90,000, not including the medical equipment carried by the crews.