Ambulance crews covering Kent, Surrey and Sussex dealt with nearly three 999 calls every minute on New Year’s Eve night.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service says that between 10pm New Year’s Eve and 4am New Year’s Day, staff received around 1,000 emergency calls.

That equates to nearly three calls every minute – way above the average number of calls received on other nights which is around one every minute.

Most calls received were because of people falling over, suffering from breathing difficulties or being injured in fights and assaults.

Paul Sutton, chief executive of South East Coast Ambulance Service, said: “New Year’s Eve is always one our busiest nights of the year.

“We plan for it every year to ensure that we are able to continue to deliver a safe and responsive service to our patients, despite the fact that so many more people than usual are calling us for help.”