call

"They blur the line between what we traditionally call livestock and a companion animal or pet."

Also commenting on the BBC Eye investigation was former Conservative party leader, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who echoed Champion's call for an effective ban on such products backed by criminal sanctions.

"I took a call from a gentleman who's mother had an itch, he told me to send a taxi and when I reminded him that we were not a taxi service he just started hurling homophobic abuse at me," Mr Shelley said.

"I understand it's an emotional time when people need an ambulance, but our call handlers have to go through a set of questions to make sure we get the right care to people," she said.

Violence and abuse against paramedics and emergency call handlers is on the rise, with reported cases up by more than a third since 2019, the BBC has found.