WYRE Forest residents have been urged to think before they call 999 after the ambulance service covering the district announced a record number of calls last month.

Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service made the plea after recording its busiest ever month in December, when it sent ambulances out on 5,092 calls - a rise of 7.2 per cent on the same period in 2004.

Director of operations, Frances Martin, stressed that although alcohol-related cases had led to a national increase it was not a "big problem" over the festive period. She added: "We get calls to all sorts of other less serious cases, where patients could quite easily see their GP.

"For example, we had a call last week to someone who had cut himself shaving. This is not a good use of emergency resources.

"Ambulances are for critical or life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, heavy blood loss, suspected broken bones, persistent chest pain, difficulty breathing, an overdose, ingestion or poisoning."

The Shuttle/Times & News reported last week how Stourport man, George Murcott, had to wait about 30 minutes in Kidderminster town centre for an ambulance to transport him to hospital when he suffered a life-threatening heart attack.