East: Busy Night For Paramedics

17 December 2011, 09:13 | Updated: 17 December 2011, 09:18

Ambulance crews in the East have faced their busiest night of the Christmas period.

Figures from the East of England Ambulance Service show there were 3,423 emergency calls between 6pm last night (Friday) and 7:45am this morning (Saturday).

The increase in calls, which was expected, is put down to alcohol and freezing temperatures.

Each year the Friday of the final weekend before Christmas is dubbed 'Black Friday' by paramedics due to the large numbers of Christmas parties taking place.

Last year, the number of emergency calls rose by around a quarter compared to a normal Friday.

However this year was a quieter one than last year, according to the East of England Ambulance Service, as there was snow across the east this time last year.