AMBULANCE staff in Essex received more than 2,600 calls over the bank holiday weekend.

A total of 2,621 calls were received, up about ten per cent on the previous year.

Dave Fountain, locality director for the ambulance service, said: “We were prepared for a busy weekend and we experienced a rise in demand in five of the six counties we cover.

“I’d like to thank our staff and volunteers who worked hard to provide the best possible care to patients across the region.”