Hillsborough inquests: PC drove ambulance to hospital

The jury saw footage of what is believed to be the two PCs carrying Philip out of the ground

A police officer at Hillsborough has told how he drove a 14-year-old boy to hospital in an ambulance because the vehicle's driver was busy with another patient.

Former PC Andrew Shiel was giving evidence at the inquests into the tragedy about how Liverpool fan Philip Hammond died.

The jury also heard from another officer who tried to save the teenager.

Ninety-six fans died following a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

Former PC Stephen Taylor told the hearing he ran into a tunnel leading on to the terraces and saw "several people laid on the ground" inside - one of them was Philip Hammond.

He said: "He appeared to be unconscious and he had got a mark on his forehead, light bruising on the right side.

"I picked him up and carried him from the tunnel."

Mr Taylor and Mr Shiel took Philip to an ambulance parked in a service road near the Leppings Lane turnstiles.

Mr Shiel said Philip was "unconscious and unresponsive".

The jury saw footage of what is believed to be the two officers carrying Philip out of the ground at about 15:17.

Mr Taylor said he and ambulance officer Jane Moffatt began giving CPR in the back of the ambulance. Mr Shiel was asked to find some oxygen from a fire engine.

Mr Taylor said he gave him chest compressions, which he had not done before, although he had been given training.

'No more could be done'

He told the jury: "At that time I thought that I felt a pulse, like a heartbeat."

They worked on Philip for about 15 minutes before deciding he needed to be taken to hospital.

But the court heard there was "difficulty locating the driver".

Mr Shiel said: "I located the driver who was giving first aid to another person and actually gave me the keys and said 'I can't leave this person so you take the keys back to the ambulance'."

CCTV footage showed Mr Shiel running back to the ambulance at 15:28.

He drove the vehicle, with Mr Taylor, Philip and ambulance officer Alan Smith in the back, to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.

Mr Taylor stayed with Philip as he was examined by a doctor in A&E and continued giving heart massage.

But he said eventually a doctor told him "that no more could be done for him".

Philip Hammond's hand slipped from his friend's grasp, the inquest heard

The inquest also heard from a friend who had been with Philip at the ground but lost sight of him in the surge.

In a statement, Mark Preston said he had been inside pen three on the Leppings Lane terraces with Philip.

'Please help us, Brucie'

He said by 14:00 - an hour before kick-off - "the pen was getting more and more packed" and by 14:30 "the crowd in the pens was unbearable".

He said: "I had a hold of Phil's hand and at about 14:55 all you could hear from the crowd was 'let us out - please Brucie help us'.

Their pleas were to Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who was defending the goal at the Leppings Lane end.

"About a minute after the game was starting, there was one hell of a big push from behind," continued Mr Preston.

"I was holding Phil's hand and with the force of the crowd pushing, Phil's hand slipped from my grasp and he fell away."

He added: "I did not see Phil after that."

The inquests in Warrington, Cheshire, continue.

Who were the 96 victims?

BBC News: Profiles of all those who died