HAMPSHIRE Ambulance Service has added six Volvo V50 2.0Ds to its emergency response fleet.

The Portsmouth-based vehicles have been custom-designed by Volvo Special Vehicles, and replace the old fleet of V40s.

The ambulance service expects the cars to cover 60,000 miles a year.

The purchase follows a seven-month trial.

Garry Allen, head of fleet and engineering for the service, said: ‘From a legal perspective we need to ensure our vehicles are fit-for-purpose and that we protect ourselves from the new legislation relating to corporate responsibility.

‘More importantly, for our own peace of mind we need to ensure that hard-working staff, often tasked with risking their lives in the name of others, are supplied with the best possible equipment on the market.’