A DAMNING report into Selby's ambulance service has criticised lax security, dirty buildings and low staff morale.

A health watchdog set up to monitor ambulance services across the region said the Selby station was the "worst they had seen".

The Patient and Public Involvement Forums (PPI) which monitor the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service (TENYAS) have published reports on five ambulance stations so far.

Selby councillor Steve Shaw-Wright, pictured, today said he was surprised by the findings.

In the Selby report, PPI member Grahame Devonport said: "It was difficult to put this report together, as the visit appeared to be a very negative one - unlike the many other visits that have been carried out to ambulance services in the TENYAS patch."

The key concerns the inspection team raised were:

No cleaning schedule for ambulances, raising concerns about infection control, particularly of "superbug" MRSA;

The station's dirty exterior, which "gave the impression that it could benefit from a good wash down";

Oil on the floor of ambulance bays;

Untidy storage cupboards with a broken light fitting;

Lax security, with all bays left open while staff were in the crew room;

Low morale, particularly over plans to replace one of the station's ambulances with a response car.

TENYAS operates 34 ambulance stations across Teesside and North and East Yorkshire. The PPI inspection team has already visited stations in York, Scarborough, Hull, Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough.

In York, following a visit on November 17, 2004, they found a formal protocol was in place for cleaning the ambulances, and the station itself was neat and tidy. But their Selby inspection raised a catalogue of concerns.

TENYAS has already responded to aspects of the report. A spokesman said: "The station is indeed to have its cover improved by the removal of one ambulance providing 40 hours coverage, and that replaced by a response vehicle providing 84 hours' coverage."

Coun Shaw-Wright said he was "very surprised" at the report's findings. He said: "I have used the ambulance service recently myself, for hospital transport, and I always found the vehicles clean and the staff friendly and efficient."

Lynn Clark, the PPI forum's support manager, said: "This is without doubt the most negative report the TENYAS PPI has written so far."

Updated: 10:36 Tuesday, October 18, 2005