A trainee paramedic from Wiltshire cleared of killing a woman when he shot through a red light on a 999 call has lost his fight to get his job back.

Ian Fitzgerald, 29, was fined £1,200 and banned from driving for three months by a court last year for careless driving.

He was cleared of a more serious charge of causing the death by dangerous driving of teacher Rosemary Fenney, 40, in a crash in Newbury town centre in October 2002.

Fitzgerald of Glebe Close, Trowbridge, lost his appeal to be reinstated by Royal Berkshire Ambulance Trust.

His union, the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP), said it would be appealing against the decision and, if necessary, taking the case to tribunal.

At the original case at Reading Crown Court, Judge Christopher Compston called for better training for paramedics after hearing that they were given just a couple of hours driving in simulated emergency situations.

Mrs Fenney died instantly at the scene after her Peugeot 206 was hit side-on by the ambulance.

The APAP said they had asked that Fitzgerald be treated sympathetically by the Trust for what was 'essentially a split-second judgment' but he was dismissed on the grounds of gross misconduct and for bringing the service into disrepute.

APAP general secretary Mark Weatherhead said: 'We will challenge Berkshire Ambulance's decision to dismiss Mr Fitzgerald, and will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit for natural justice for him in a future industrial tribunal.

'In the meantime, we will be highlighting the problems surrounding this case in a meeting we have already scheduled with Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Health, Paul Burstow at the end of this month regarding the implications for all ambulance staff when responding to emergencies.'

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