PARAMEDICS in Warrington had a happy New Year thanks to people heeding their advice.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service, which covers Warrington as well as Runcorn and Widnes, had to answer fewer 999 calls than last year.

Between 8pm and 8am over the New Year, the service dealt with 683 calls compared to 887 over the millennium.

That marks a reduction of 204 or 22 per cent.

Ambulance chiefs praised the public for exercising common sense and heeding the warnings put out over the festive period.

As a result, there were no major or serious incidents to deal with.

Service spokesman Kevin Mulcahy said: "There were several reasons for the downturn in activity with which the trust dealt.

"Obviously the poor weather meant that many people stayed indoors and the cancellation of planned events was an important factor. I am very grateful that our message hit home and calls on our service were at a manageable level.

"Prioritising emergency calls according to their need is of paramount importance on such a busy night and we are delighted to report that we responded to more than 86 per cent of life-threatening calls within eight minutes, well above the national target."