Ambulance staff were asked whether they had run out of fuel last week, as around 20 of them pulled an ambulance 12 miles through the centre of London for charity.

Using six specially adapted harnesses they pulled the vehicle from Homerton ambulance station in Homerton High Street, Hackney, to White City in around seven hours, to raise funds for Children in Need.

Homerton ambulance station paramedic Martin Lewis, who used to work setting up rigs to pull cars during films and commercials, came up with the idea.

“A few months ago I thought ‘instead of pulling a one-tonne car, why don’t we pull a four-tonne ambulance through central London?” he said.

“Many of my colleagues have done similar charity work before, including one who has twice run the London Marathon pulling a tyre behind him, so they were more than willing to volunteer.

“The reaction from the public was excellent, and there was even the odd comment like ‘have you run out of fuel?’”

They have far surpassed their target of �1,500, raising �2,842 so far.

Transport for London and the police came on board to make the stunt possible.

To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/the-ambulance-pull.