AN ambulance on the school playground would usually cause alarm, but not for these preschool pupils.

Children at Haylands Pre-school on Portland got a lesson in health and the emergency services when an ambulance crew dropped in for the morning.

The team from Whitehorse Ambulance visited the school as part of the pupils' 'people who help us' lessons.

The crew showed the pupils around the ambulance, explained their work, gave basic first aid advice and talked about the importance of helping others.

Daniel Hamilton from Whitehorse said: "Whitehorse Ambulance is a CQC registered ambulance service and not only believes in supplying high quality medical cover but we also believe it is important to give the children of Dorset an opportunity to see inside an ambulance without being hurt! And see that it is not so scary. We are also very passionate about teaching children the basics in first aid and how to get help in an emergency."

A spokesman for Haylands Preschool said: "Thanks for this morning the children loved it. They all said they loved the noise the ambulance made. One child said there were lots of buttons to press and they liked trying on the helmet. Another child said the best bit was laying on the bed!"

If your school is interested in getting a visit from Whitehorse Ambulance contact info@whitehorse-safety.co.uk