Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford was put on red alert to help with casualties from yesterday's horrific Paddington rail crash.

Areas to accomodate distraught relatives were set up while staff were put on stand-by after the crash involving hundreds of passengers.

Carriages were set ablaze by the collision and derailment two miles from Paddington, near Ladbroke Grove involving the high-speed Cheltenham to Paddington Great Western service and the Thames Trains' 8.06am Paddington to Bedwyn, Wilts, local service.

But despite being told to expect at least six people who had been seriously injured in the smash and on their way to the hospital's specialist burns unit treatment the hospital was stood down shortly before 1pm.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said Broomfield had been alerted as part of a standard emergency plan.

"Because we are quite near to London and have one of the best burns units it was understandable we were put on alert.

"But because the London hospital's have coped so well at this time it was not necessary for us to get involved," she added.

She said that consultants, anaesthetists and plastic surgeons had been notified as part of the alert while more space was also made in the burns and intensive care unit as a precaution.

"It might be that some of the patients are referred to us at a later date for specialist treatment," said the spokeswoman.

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