Air ambulance at Lysaghts Park, Newport, child taken to hospital

Witnesses reported seeing an air ambulance landing in Lysaghts Park, just off Corporation Road in the city, around 12.30pm on Monday afternoon.

A second air ambulance arrived a little later.  

People in the park reported seeing police officers seen running around the area in the early afternoon, with ambulances racing towards the Southern Distributor Road in Newport. 

The air ambulances attracted a large crowd while they attended a medical emergency (Image: Rhian Adams)By around 1pm, the emergency services presence had grown, with officers from Gwent Police, the Welsh Ambulance Service and Wales Air Ambulance all in attendance. 

Gwent Police later confirmed the child had been taken to hospital for further assessment. 

The attendance of so many emergency services attracted a crowd with witnesses reporting that dozens of people were surrounding the air ambulances by lunchtime, concerned over what was taking place. 

Lysaghts Park was the scene of a major emergency services presence on Monday afternoon (Image: Newsquest)

An official statement from Gwent Police confirmed the force had been called to the scene following reports of a "medical emergency".

A spokesperson said: "We were called to Corporation Road, Newport, at around 11.30am on Monday, April 1, following a medical emergency.

"Officers attended alongside paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service and medics from Wales Air Ambulance. A five-year-old child was taken to hospital for assessment."

Although the air ambulances and emergency services presence had cleared from the park by 2pm, a number of people who had seen them spoke of their concern. 

The park was cleared by 2pm (Image: Newsquest)A shop owner just opposite the park told the Argus: "It was awful seeing so many emergency services.

"We’ve never seen a crowd like it and can only hope the person it was there for is being helped."

Another man said that he had delayed visiting the park with his child at 12.30pm after being told of the air ambulance's presence, and wished that the person who it had been called for was going to be okay. 

In a separate incident on the same afternoon, another air ambulance landed on the field near Elm Drive in Ty Sign. It is not believed that the incidents are connected.