Alderney St John Ambulance 'needs taxpayers' money'

Alderney's St John Ambulance says it may need to ask the States for taxpayers' money to pay salaries.

The voluntary organisation held a recruitment drive earlier this year but said only one person was suitable.

Ros Michel, the chair of St John Ambulance in Alderney, said the current situation "could not continue without intervention".

She said she may need to ask the States of Alderney for £40,000 to cover the cost of paying staff.

Ms Michel said the service was down to just two or three volunteers during the daytime.

She said it had a limited budget but paid people a small allowance to be on call and when they were called out.

She said the main problem was people could not get time off work between 09:00 and 17:00, and everybody had to earn a living.

"Unfortunately employers are not very happy in this day and age to let their staff off for an hour or two during the working day," she said.