EMERGENCY services across Worcestershire bucked the national trend and remained relatively quiet as revellers welcomed in 2007 on a wet and windy night.

The police said that although they received a large number of calls to deal with drunken party-goers, they had experienced a typical New Year's night.

Meanwhile the ambulance service received 252 calls from across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, 37 fewer than last year.

Despite a record number of calls elsewhere in Britain - ambulance staff nationally dealt with the highest number of emergency 999 calls in the early hours of the New Year since the Millennium and at its busiest, the London Ambulance Service was taking more than 450 calls an hour - bosses at West Midlands Ambulance Service said that the strong winds and heavy rain almost certainly led to a quieter than expected New Year.

Chief executive Anthony Marsh said: "I would like to thank the many staff who worked over the New Year period.

"Their professionalism and dedication have ensured that patients across the region have received appropriate care in a timely manner."

A police spokeswoman said: "We had a lot of revelling last night to which we had to respond to quite a large amount of calls dealing with people who had quite a lot to drink.

"Most people enjoy themselves and it all goes quietly but some people just can't control themselves.

"But overall it was a reasonable night I would say."

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said that they had not been called out to any incidents despite storms that swept across the county.

As a result of the weather, a spokeswoman for the Environment Agency confirmed that Worcester has been put on floodwatch.

She said: "Low-lying fields and roads adjacent to the River Severn are in danger (of flooding) but no property is under threat at the moment.

"We are expecting the river to rise a little but this will be very slow.

"No severe or heavy rain is forecasted for the next few days so we won't be putting up the flood barriers, but we will be putting updates on our website regularly," she added.