A father whose young daughter was saved by an ambulance crew has told how she may not be alive now if it wasn't for their quick response.

His story emerged as proposals to site the Canvey ambulance off the island during the day fuelled further protests.

Dave Blackwell and his wife Sylvia were at home with their two-year old daughter Hollie when she suddenly had a fit and turned blue.

The couple who then lived at their home in St Christopher's Close, began to panic after realising she had stopped breathing.

Mr Blackwell, now a Labour councillor for Castle Point, phoned for an ambulance which arrived in about two minutes and took the tot to Southend Hospital.

Her parents had an anxious wait as doctors warned that Hollie may suffer brain damage but the youngster now 15 and a pupil at Castle View School in Meppel Avenue, made a full recovery.

Mr Blackwell, 51, of Munsterburg Road, Canvey, said: "If it was not for the crew she would probably have suffered brain damage or may not be around now."

Meanwhile, a paramedic has claimed that moving Canvey's ambulance off the island during the day could "endanger people's lives".

Nigel Davies, who has been working at the island's ambulance station for the last 15 years, condemned the proposed move, saying the people of Canvey deserved to have their own ambulance base.

He said: "It could endanger lives. In our job minutes mean lives. If it takes us five minutes longer to reach someone, those could be the five minutes that make the difference between life and death."

Chief executive of the Essex Ambulance Service Gron Roberts claimed the ambulance would be able to answer more emergency calls if it was stationed in Benfleet.

He added the proposal was not set in stone and would be considered until it was finally put to the South Essex Health Authority in September.

Thankful -David Blackwell and his daughter Hollie, now 15

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.