Attacks on staff working for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service are increasing.

The ambulance service figures has said that verbal and physical assaults have risen dramatically in the last year.

It said that between January 1998 and January 99 there were five reported attacks.

Between January 99 and the start of this year that figure rose to 38.

'Affecting morale'

Kenny McMahon, director of operations at the ambulance service, the problem was affecting staff morale.

"It would certainly deter people from wanting to do night duties.

"Ambulance service work is difficult at any time of the day, but at night it takes on a different character, particularly in the back streets and secluded areas where quite a lot of these attacks are actually perpetrated.

"Also at this time we are trying to attract more females into the service and this does nothing for its image."

Criminal offence campaign

The ambulance service and the union Unison have encouraged staff to report any assaults.

But if ambulance workers want to take action, they then have to take out a private prosecution against their attacker.

Unison is now campaigning nationally for attacks on health workers, and particularly ambulance staff, to be treated the same way as attacks on police officers, as a criminal offence.