Stevenage ambulance crews help out Coronation Street

Three members of staff from Stevenage ambulance station are enjoying the limelight after starring in the trailer for Coronation Street's 50th Christmas Special.

Communications manager Gary Sanderson, paramedic Vicky Brannan and emergency medical technician Liz Dobb, all based at Stevenage station, put down their stethoscopes and became actors for a day for the major disaster special next month. Each day the trailer shows the three in action at their St Georges Way base.

Back on Monday, October 18, camera crews, producers and directors from the ITV creative department descended on Stevenage Fire and Ambulance Station to begin filming the emergency service response part of the trailer. Gary, Liz and Vicky had to play the part of themselves and act out a scenario where they received a call to a major incident. The scene shows Liz and Vicky passing equipment and kit bags to Gary in the back of the ambulance before it races off to the incident.

Gary said: "ITVs location manager Simon Hassard was driving past the station when he popped in on the off chance to see if the station could be used and staff members to be part of the trailer. Simon was very impressed with the location and was very happy for the filming to take place at Stevenage."

During the evening, Gary, Liz and Vicky were put through the paces and run through several scenarios to get the final piece for the trailer. Vicky said: "The filming was a bit surreal and we all found it hard to believe that ITV were filming a Coronation Street special in our ambulance station. The production staff from ITV were very helpful and made us all at ease throughout."

Liz added:" It was a great day. It took several hours to film and seeing the finished article on television makes it all worth while."

The trailer is now being shown several times a day between programmes on ITV until the main show is aired in December. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oCmqH-7APg