A LOCAL charity has been left puzzling over what to do with cash it planned to hand over for a new first responder car in Malmesbury.

The Jack Lane Trust had a cheque written and ready to buy a new car for the scheme, which trains community members to give life saving treatment before an ambulance arrives.

But the arrival of a new ambulance car and paramedic has left it in a quandary.

Chairman of the trust, Jim Toogood, who opened the ambulance station 29 years ago when he was mayor, explained they were approached for help to buy some medical kit for the first responders.

But at their quarterly meeting members voted to provide enough cash for a new car.

He said: "We decided it was something that would be good for Malmesbury. All we required was some publicity.

"Then we found out that there was a new ambulance car coming. We have assumed that we are therefore not going to be required to do anything."

He said he was also concerned about the lack of a full ambulance and believed the change had not been properly planned to take account of the fact that Malmesbury would have a greater need for cover in the future as it expanded.

For more on the story see this week's Wilts and Glos Standard.