AN AMBULANCE on blue lights was apparently 'boxed in' by motorists queuing for petrol.

A concerned Henwick Road resident took a photograph of the ambulance seemingly struggling to get through the traffic building outside the Essar garage.

They said: "At 8.30pm on Tuesday night, the queue of cars to the Essar garage caused an Ambulance to get blocked as it headed northwards.

"The queues at this particular garage have been lengthy every day since Saturday, bringing annoyance to local residents and many hours of problematic journeys for any motorists wanting to simply travel North or South."

However, the ambulance service said it could not say whether the ambulance was stuck as it was unable to track its vehicles. 

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman added: “Our crews are trained in blue light driving to respond to 999 calls in and around both rural and urban settings in the West Midlands region.

"Their training includes making safe and effective progress through heavy, congested traffic.

"Our staff of course rely on the help and assistance of other road users for which we are grateful.

"If you want some simple advice on what to do if you come across a blue light vehicle on route to an emergency, we recommend taking a look at the following video - wmas.nhs.uk/advice-resources/campaigns/be-blue-light-aware.”

Fuel stations across the county are still shut or offering only a limited number of pumps after days of panic-buying.