South East Coast Ambulance Service played a vital role in the life of one small baby on Wednesday morning as snow blanketed West Kent and East Sussex and a home-birthing team couldn't get through.

After one ambulance was unable to make it to the mum, who had called for help at 6.35am, quick-thinking ambulance staff leapt into a 4x4.

When it became clear that the normal ambulance was stuck in snow staff in the Kent control centre called the Crowborough birthing unit to establish whether the patient could be transported to the unit instead of Pembury Hospital.

Crowborough ambulance station staff Julie Carr and Kate Forster sprung into action, braved the snow, and took the 34-year-old mum to the birthing unit, where it was .

In a separate incident in Tunbridge Wells, crews were called to attend to a man in his 50s who had collapsed outside his home at 8am.

Two ambulances were sent to the scene. However, when the first crew arrived they asked the second crew to remain at the top of the hill down to the man's address in case they were unable to make the journey back up it.

Technician Stewart Jordon said: “We had some excellent support from members of the public who were carrying out CPR when we arrived.

“We took the decision to advise the second crew to remain at the top of the hill just in case we couldn’t get back up the hill and in fact three quarters of the way up the hill, we started to slip but thankfully members of the public came to our aid.

"We had 10 to 15 people pushing the ambulance up the hill. We would just like to say a huge thanks to all those who helped.”

Unfortunately, the man who collapsed died on arrival at hospital.

SECAMB said in a statement: "There were many more examples of people helping during the day including members of the public volunteering to assist the council to help clear access and salt the entrance to Midhurst ambulance station, 4x4 companies offering use of their vehicles and Subway offering sandwiches to crews free of charge – big thank you to everyone."