Hoaxer delayed aid to attack man

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Paramedics called to treat a man who later died after being attacked early on New Year's Day, were diverted by a hoax caller, it has been revealed.

Ron Sharples, 52, died after an altercation with a group of youths in Inglewood Avenue, Marske, as he was out looking for the family pet dog.

But it has emerged the ambulance called for by police was dealing with a call which turned out to be a hoax.

Four young local men have been arrested in connection with Mr Sharple's death.

A post-mortem examination revealed a father-of-two, from Charwood Close, Marske, died from severe head injuries following an assault.

This abuse of our service appears to have had tragic consequences for a patient who desperately needed our help Paul Liversidge, North East Ambulance Service Trust

His family described the Middlesbrough fan as a "lovely, kind devoted family man".

The director of ambulance operations at the North East Ambulance Service Trust, Paul Liversidge, condemned the actions of hoax callers which he said had plagued operations over the New Year.

Paramedics took 21 minutes to reach Mr Sharples after discovering they had been diverted by a hoaxer.

Mr Liversidge said: "In the three hours from midnight on New Year's Day, we dealt with more than 600 emergency calls - the same number we would normally expect to answer in a 24-hour period.

"We received a call shortly after 0200 GMT on New Year's Day from Cleveland Police to attend an incident in Marske.

"At the same time, one of our nearby crews was responding to a 999 call that sadly turned out to be a hoax.

"This abuse of our service on the busiest night of the year appears to have had tragic consequences for a patient who desperately needed our help."

Mr Sharples was found unconscious in the street and taken to Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, but was later pronounced dead.