A woman had to wait for an hour to be freed from her car following an accident in Fore Street, Westbury, last Wednesday, because the ambulance had to come out from Bristol.

Long delays were caused in the town just before noon after the collision between a white Vauxhall Astra and a grey Citroen Xsara, which left the 56-year-old passenger of the Citroen trapped in her car.

However, firefighters were unable to free the woman straight away, although a paramedic was on the scene, as they needed an ambulance to keep her warm and check her condition as soon as she was freed.

The woman and her partner, who was driving, were taken to the Royal United Hospital in Bath, where they were treated for their injuries.

A spokesman for South West Ambulance Service said: “A call was received at 11.45am to Fore Street, Westbury. Our first resource arrived at the scene at 11.55am, so 10 minutes after the call was received. The casualty was suffering from chest and arm pain.”

The spokesman added that the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is currently experiencing a significant increase in demand, over and above that expected during the winter period.