Call for return of surgery paramedics in Cambridgeshire

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Footballer Dan Jones waited for more than an hour for an ambulance

Campaigners are calling for the return of surgery-based paramedics in rural Cambridgeshire.

East Anglian Ambulance Service ended this cover in 2008 claiming mobile paramedics provided 24-hour cover.

Figures show 62% of calls in Fenland, 39% in South Cambridgeshire and 40% in East Cambridgeshire do not meet government response time targets.

Campaigner Fred Brown, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, wants the previous system back.

Crews are expected to reach an emergency in eight minutes.

Mr Brown said: "I thought what we had before was brilliant. We should have kept it as there was no reason to take it away.

"We need it back as we're not getting a service that is comparable to anywhere else in the country."

The East of England Ambulance Trust said they had improved on the 9-5 surgery-based paramedics with mobile teams providing 24-hour cover.