THE nation's ambulances could be heading for a 'Changing Rooms' style makeover, if a European committee has its way.

The European Committee of Standardisation has investigated the possibility of making all ambulances throughout the European Union an instantly recognisable bright yellow.

At the moment, the UK opts for clinical white, the Germans for salmon pink, while French road traffic ambulances are painted red.

The scheme to paint all ambulances 'Euro Yellow RAL 1016' is voluntary, but if the British Standards Institute accepts the recommendation, all ambulances will go under the sprayer's gun in the next two years.

There is a concern that with the amount of white vans on Britain's roads, motorists do not spot the current white liveried emergency vehicles until they are right on them, holding them up and on potentially life-threatening journeys.

The bright yellow colour has been chosen because it is distinctive, rarely used on other vehicles, and scored highest when scientists measured human eye responses in tests.

The new colour scheme is being tested on a ambulance at the Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust.