SATURDAY was the second busiest day in the history of the South Western Ambulance Service as crews saw unprecedented levels of demand.

And assistant director of operations, William Lee, urged people to only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

He said: “Our people are working incredibly hard to respond to patients in the south west who need it the most.

“You may have heard us say recently about an unprecedented level of demand the Trust has been experiencing.

“That has continued through this weekend and yesterday was the second busiest day in Trust history.

“I’m asking today for the public’s help. Please only call 999 in a genuine, life-threatening emergency.

“Please don’t call us back on 999 for an estimated time of arrival as we will not be able to provide one.

“Calling back for ETAs means that people who need immediate, life-saving instructions cannot get through.

“Please do call us back, if you no longer need our help or if the patient gets worse.

“Our people continue to work incredibly hard to respond to this level of activity and to ensure we are able to respond to patients who need us most and for life-threatening emergencies.”