AMBULANCE chiefs today urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys as Suffolk was covered with a blanket of heavy snow.

AMBULANCE chiefs today urged people to avoid unnecessary journeys as Suffolk was covered with a blanket of heavy snow.

Oskan Edwardson, director of operations for the East Anglian Ambulance Service, urged drivers to take extreme care, allow extra time and make only essential journeys.

He said: “We usually experience a spate of shunts and bumps in this kind of weather, but we also still have to attend the serious illnesses and injuries that people suffer on a daily basis, so we would ask people to drive very carefully.

“It is very difficult for our own crews to drive in such conditions and patient waiting times may therefore be slightly longer than usual, so we would ask people to only ring us if they really need an ambulance so that we can use our resources effectively and efficiently.

“We have contingency plans in place to ensure that our key members of staff can reach their workplaces and are fully prepared for what the weather throws at us.”