People are being urged to only call 999 in emergencies after an ambulance service experienced its “busiest Christmas”.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) – which covers Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire - received 4,200 calls on Boxing Day

Snowy conditions the following day resulted in “another day of busy calls”.

Kevin Brown, director of service delivery for the service, said: “I would like to thank all of our staff and volunteers for their hard work over the Christmas period.

“The health system is experiencing this spike with us, and every trust is doing everything possible to work together for good patient outcomes.

“We will always prioritise patients with life-threatening conditions above other calls and that calling 999 should be for these sorts of emergencies only.”

People are being urged to use NHS Choices website, pharmacies, NHS 111, walk-in centres and GP surgeries if they require medical advice.