A spokesman for the Heartlands Hospital, in Birmingham, said they were investigating the incident to ensure "that all the correct steps were taken".

It has emerged that on Wednesday all three vehicles used to move patients around the site had broken down - and the hospital was unable to find other suitable transport.

"By 1700 BST, we needed to move two deceased patients. A decision was taken to use the only available Trust vehicle, an unmarked multi-purpose vehicle, most commonly used to move wheelie-bins," a spokesman for the Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust said.

"The vehicle was fully cleaned and then used to move the deceased patients from the wards to the mortuary.

"This occurred between 1730 and 1815 BST. At approximately 1900 BST, the first of the internal ambulances was repaired and returned to service."

The spokesman said that the West Midlands Ambulance Service and a commercial ambulance service were unable to provide temporary cover.