It is virtually impossible for normal, sensible, law-abiding people to understand the minds of those who see fit to attack members of the emergency services and sometimes seem to regard such behaviour as some sort of sport.

Too often, and particularly around bonfire time, we carry reports of attacks on firefighters as they attend blazes which are out of control. The shameful violence against doctors and nurses in hospitals, which prompted the Telegraph & Argus's "End the Abuse" campaign, has been well documented.

And now there has been such an increase in levels of violence against ambulance crews that the Government has been prompted to order an official audit to assess the real extent of it.

In West Yorkshire, attacks on paramedics and drivers are reported to have spiralled with 183 assaults reported in the year to March, 2003 - an increase of 118 per cent on the previous year compared to a national increase of 10.5 per cent over the same period.

What on earth is happening to the society in which we live when those whose job is to save lives have to fear the risk of harm to themselves when they respond to a call? Are their attackers too stupid to realise that one day they, or some member of their close family, could be in need of help from an ambulance crew who might fail to get through because they are under attack?

A Government audit is likely merely to confirm what is already known. Its findings should be swiftly followed by strong action to put a stop to this dangerous phenomenon.