THIEVES have stolen 999 emergency equipment used by the fire brigade while Wellington firefighters were helping to deal with a three-vehicle crash in the town on Wednesday night (October 28).

The crash happened at about 6 pm near Wellington Medical Centre in Mantle Street, and saw the road closed for more than an hour.

One of the vehicles had been parked at the side of the road when the collision happened.

The drivers of the other two cars, both women, were injured and taken by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital, in Taunton, after passers-by had stopped to give assistance.

Both Wellington fire crews attended the incident to help free people from the wreckage, and afterward they discovered that two of their Peli blue flashing lights shaped like a starfish had gone missing.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFR) spokesperson said: “If they are seen in the area, can you please let us know, as it is operational equipment.”

The spokesperson said they were small, portable flashing marker lights used by crews to provide a visible warning or marker during operational incidents, particularly in poor visibility or low-light conditions.

They said: “So, they might be used to draw attention to signage or any barriers that have been put up at the incident, for example.”

A spokesperson for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We sent two double-crewed land ambulances, and a critical care car to the scene.

“We conveyed two patients by land ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital.”

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson said the injuries to the drivers were not thought to be life-threatening.

They said officers remained at the scene until the vehicles had been recovered.

Police appealed for any witnesses or anybody with any footage of the collision to call 101 using the reference number 5226351519.