AN 82-YEAR-OLD man was left waiting more than two hours for an ambulance after falling over in a busy Taunton street.

Michael Taylor, from Churchinford, tripped and fell in the High Street on Monday at around 12.15pm.

An ambulance was called after Mr Taylor said he couldn’t feel his legs.

Thankfully, two Avon and Somerset Police Force PCSOs were in the area and joined Mr Taylor and his wife, Elsie, as he lay on the street, unable to move.

However, injured Mr Taylor had to wait more than two hours for treatment to arrive, which the South Western Ambulance Service said was due to a high volume of calls which it said were addressed in order of ‘priority’.

Mr Taylor said as he waited: “I have been here for two hours. I am okay but it is very cold down here.

“A kind stranger came and gave me a blanket, bottle of water and a banana.”

And Mrs Taylor said the fall, which happened as the pair were heading for some lunch, took them both by surprise.

“He just sort of lost his balance and fell over,” she said.

“We were on our way to get some lunch, he wanted a ham and cheese toastie.”

But she said the people of Taunton had come to the rescue to ensure her husband was okay.

“People have been very kind and helped us. We have the contact numbers for them and we will be sure to thank them,” she said.

One PCSO was concerned about Mr Taylor as he said his legs were numb, but he was reassured that Mr Taylor could still wiggle his toes as he was propped up against a chair on the ground.

The ambulance arrived on the High Street at around 2.30pm, more than two hours after Mr Taylor fell.

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 12.45pm on Monday, September 12, reporting that a man had fallen, and was conscious and breathing.

“A crew was not immediately available to respond and as a result a further 999 call was made from the scene.

“The crew arrived at 2.27pm and treated the patient, who did not need to be taken to hospital for further treatment.

“We are currently dealing with an additional 470 incidents every day than we were five years ago and have a finite number of resources with which to respond.

“As such we have to prioritise those calls which are life threatening, where patients are unconscious and not breathing.”