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RESIDENTS in Riccarton had a lucky escape earlier this week when an unmanned parked ambulance rolled into a garden.

The emergency vehicle rolled down a hill and only stopped when it smashed into a metal gate, uprooting the foundations of the heavy frame, leaving it mangled beyond repair.

Now an investigation is underway as to the cause of the crash, with Police Scotland asking for information from anyone who witnessed the incident.

The Scottish Ambulance Service say they need to speak to the crew and determine the state of the vehicle to establish what happened.

A spokeswoman for the service said: “We can confirm that we were at an incident in the Stoneyhill Avenue area of Kilmarnock on Tuesday.

“The vehicle in question has now been removed from service for inspection and an investigation is underway.”

But one resident was left angry after witnessing the incident, saying things could have been a lot worse.

An HGV driver himself, the resident – who wishes to remain anonymous – said if it had been him, he would have been “sacked on the spot” for “gross misconduct”.

He told the Standard: “The paramedics were in seeing one of my neighbours – the next thing I knew, the ambulance had rolled down the street and crashed into a front garden.

“I watched the police talk to the driver and they were having a laugh. I don’t think it’s very funny, this is a family area and there are a lot of kids about.

“If it was an hour later after school, it could’ve been much worse.

“Just look what happened with the bin lorry in Glasgow.”

The incident happened around 2.30pm on Monday. Police Scotland said “no one was injured” in the incident and that the ambulance “did not hit the house”.

Police enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with any information should contact Police Scotland on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.