PARTYGOERS in Ipswich are still nursing their sore bodies today after hectic scenes on the ambulance service's busiest night of the year.Between midnight and 6am on New Year's Day paramedics in the town received more than 100 calls, around the amount they would normally expect in 24 hours.

PARTYGOERS in Ipswich are still nursing their sore bodies today after hectic scenes on the ambulance service's busiest night of the year.

Between midnight and 6am on New Year's Day paramedics in the town received more than 100 calls, around the amount they would normally expect in 24 hours.

And not only were the staff, including volunteers from the Red Cross and St John Ambulance, rushed off their feet, they were also subjected the physical assault, verbal abuse, one was even threatened with a knife and another had their bag stolen.

Jason Gillingham, clinical field operations manager with the East Anglian Ambulance Service, said: “It was as big as we expected.

“Without a doubt it's the busiest night of the year for us. At times after midnight we received a call on average every minute.

“We rely as always on teamwork and everybody pulls together to get through.”

Mr Gillingham admitted that New Year 's Eve had become a night he dreaded because as most people celebrated the start of 2007 his team had been tackling a series of injuries, mainly caused by assaults and drunken collapses.

He said one of the most serious incidents had happened in Chantry at about 2.20am when someone was stabbed in the neck.

The victim was were taken to hospital but the injuries were not life-threatening.

But there was also some good news for the paramedics working on New Year's Eve. A new initiative to deal with minor injuries was a big success.

A field hospital had been set up on Cardinal Park by the St John Ambulance and staff there were able to deal with around 12 patients suffering from minor injuries such as crushed fingers.

Weblink: www.eastanglianambulance.com

ONE Ipswich reveller is still recovering today after he was rescued from his own home by firefighters.

Paul Giles, 30, of Cemetery Road in the town, celebrated so much that he ended up stuck between the wall of his house and some steps leading to the house.

So when the paramedics arrived at about 2.20am on New Year's Day they realised they needed the fire service's help to get him out and take him to Ipswich Hospital.

Mr Giles' fiancé, who did not wish to be named, said: “He was wedged between the step and the wall so the steps had to be moved.

“He was in a lot of pain and we thought he might have a spinal injury so when they moved him they had to be very careful about a back injury.

“But after all that fuss he got away with just a broken hand. I think it's given him a shock and he says he's given up alcohol.”