Ambulance bosses angered as timewasters dial 999 for constipation and hiccups

Health bosses have warned ambulances are only for real emergencies after taking 999 calls for complaints including constipation, hiccuping and after someone soiled themselves.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) answered 4,111 emergency calls and attended 3,178 incidents on Christmas Day alone and this figure has increased on subsequent days, with New Year's Eve, the busiest night of the year still to come.