Ambulance chief David Craig has departed after response times in North and East Yorkshire failed to meet Government targets.

Mr Craig left his post as chief executive of the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service by mutual consent.

He had been head of the service since it was created two years ago from the merger of three smaller ambulance trusts, including North Yorkshire. The service was criticised last autumn for responding to only 55.5 per cent of emergency calls within eight minutes, compared with a Government target of 75 per cent.

At that time, spokesman Nigel Metcalfe said the service was gearing up to meet the target by April of this year. He said the service had been given an extra £1.2 million and was recruiting more than 50 front-line staff and acquiring seven more fast-response vehicles.

But by the end of March, the service was meeting the target response time in 60 per cent of cases - an improvement, but still well below the Government's target.

Mr Craig, who was unavailable for comment, will remain within the NHS after yesterday's departure from the trust.

Updated: 11:05 Tuesday, June 12, 2001