A LAKE District ambulance station has re-opened after being forced to temporarily close when it was devastated by the floods in December.

When Storm Desmond hit Cumbria just before Christmas, Ambleside station along with many homes and business in the county quickly became submerged in the rising water levels.

Staff found equipment and clinical materials floating in the water and they, along with the ambulances, had to be re-located to the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team base.

The station has flooded twice before over the years but this time it had to undergo extensive refurbishment to dry it out and repair the damage left behind.

More than six months later all the repair works are now complete and the staff and equipment have moved back in.

North West Ambulance Service operations manager Graham Cassels said: “I would like to thank everyone for all their effort and hard work over the last six months and it is fantastic that we are now finally back. The length of time it has taken to get the station back up and running shows just how much damage the flood water caused.

“Our staff have dealt with the disruption superbly and we would also like to extend our appreciation to our colleagues at the mountain rescue for opening up their base to us whilst the work was ongoing to get the station back up and running.”

As Cumbria bore the brunt of the catastrophic weather NWAS staff went to extraordinary efforts in continuing to report for work. They volunteered to return to work in the difficult conditions to reach patients and those stranded by the rising water levels. This was while their own homes, villages and communities were in peril.

Some examples of the dedication to duty from staff included those that could not get home and had to sleep in local hospitals. Others waded through waist deep water just to get to work and many came in just to help out and support their colleagues.