THE OFFICIAL opening of the new Darlington Ambulance Station will be performed today.

Darlington Mayor Councillor Doris Jones, will open the station at the Fire and Rescue Service premises in St Cuthbert's Way.

The North East Ambulance Service project was completed in July this year and is the second to be built within the new trust. It complements the crew room at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The move is part of a review of emergency ambulance provision in the Darlington area designed to improve strategic response to emergency calls.

The station provides staff with modern facilities and a well positioned base from which to operate effectively.

Accident and Emergency ambulances will operate from the Darlington station, with sixteen A&E staff, nine of whom are trained paramedics and seven are advanced technicians.