V The Court of Appeal is to decide whether Hatzolah, the Jewish ambulance service, will be banned from using blue lights and sirens in a test case affecting ambulances nationwide.

The Crown Prosecution Service is appealing against the decision by a Greater Manchester district judge in October to throw out prosecutions against two Hatzolah drivers.

Emergency medics Michael Issler and Mordechai Bamburger were charged with illegally using blue lights by police after attending victims of a car crash.

The judge ruled that Hatzolah was a professionally operated ambulance service which had a legal exemption that allowed it to use blue lights and sirens for emergencies.

The CPS wants a judicial review of the ruling. If appeal judges find in favour of the CPS, non-NHS ambulance services across the country could be prosecuted.

Manchester Hatzola director Myer Heilpern said: “This could significantly affect services like ours nationwide.”

A date for the hearing has not yet been set.