Hospital staff attacked with ‘crowbar’ after man denied appointment

A man allegedly attacked hospital staff with a weapon which police say may have been a crowbar after he was denied an appointment.

Merseyside Police said the man was believed to have attended Newton Community Hospital in Newton-le-Willows to ask for an appointment but became “increasingly agitated” when his request was refused and he was asked to leave.

Shop worker Sugedaran Shanmugaraja said police were called to the scene when an injured woman fled to get help.

He said he was working in the Best One shop, over the road from the hospital, when the woman, who was bleeding from the head, came in and asked him to call the police.

He said: “I gave her my phone to call. I could see blood and she said somebody was attacking everybody.”

He said 10 or 15 police cars arrived at the scene shortly after she had called and nurses came into the shop to treat her.

The 51-year-old said a grey Toyota Urban Cruiser parked outside the store, cordoned off with police tape and with a bottle of water on the roof, was believed to belong to the attacker.

Officers were called to the hospital just after 12pm on Tuesday following a report a man had attacked several people with a weapon, which may have been a crowbar, Merseyside Police said.

He was reported to have damaged a counter before assaulting people inside the hospital, police said.

Councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron, for the Newton-le-Willows ward, said his father, who lives next door to the hospital, heard that someone was attacking staff at the Newton Community Hospital and damaging the reception area.

Mr Gomez-Aspron said: “At around 12.10pm I got a phone call from my dad, who lives next to the hospital, to say a family friend had run to his house to tell him that someone was attacking staff within the hospital and damaging the reception area.

“I live nearby, so I told him to call the police and I rushed to the hospital and so I got there within a few minutes.

“From receiving the call, to arriving, there had been a massive emergency response to deal with the incident.

“I can only thank Merseyside Police and North West Ambulance Service for such a swift and efficient response, running into a scenario where danger is unknown.

“It’s a shock, but as always, we need to await the full facts without speculation.”

A 20-year-old man, originally from Afghanistan, was arrested on suspicion of five counts of Section 18 wounding, affray and criminal damage.

The victims of the assault are being treated by paramedics at the hospital for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening, police said.

On Tuesday afternoon the entrance to the hospital was cordoned off by police tape, with officers only allowing entry to delivery drivers going to the pharmacy.

Forensic vans were seen arriving at the hospital and a mobile police station was parked outside the Best One store.

Superintendent Sarah Rotherham said: “We were called to reports of a man behaving aggressively at the hospital who had assaulted a number of people.”

She said officers attended immediately and a male was “swiftly located and arrested”.

“Paramedics attended at the hospital and carried out first aid to those who had been injured,” she added.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Merseyside Police or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.