Ambulance calls at all-time high

This year's Christmas call-outs were 20% up on 2008

Great Western Ambulance Service has had its busiest ever Christmas, coping with more than 3,000 emergency calls.

The service received 990 calls on Christmas Eve, reaching a height of 1,013 on Christmas Day and a further 1,005 on Boxing Day.

But a service spokeswoman said they are not sure what has caused the 20% rise on last year's figures.

Mel Glanville said: "Whether the weather has had an effect I don't know. It could be as simple as that."

She added: "We always expected Christmas and new year to be busy, but the rise this year was unexpected."

Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust covers about two million people in the former Avon area, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.