A WOMAN aged 87 was left lying on a pavement with a broken arm and head injuries for more than two hours after an ambulance failed to show up.

Neighbours rushed to help after they saw the frail widow tumble over in Nether Priors, Basildon.

They covered their frightened neighbour in blankets and dialled 999.

A lone paramedic arrived 45 minutes after the call, but was only able to offer first aid.

The woman, who lives alone and is known in the street for being a kind and quiet neighbour, was finally taken to Basildon Hospital by ambulance at 3.20pm – two hours and three minutes after the first call.

Friends and neighbours have now vowed to complain to bosses at the East of England Ambulance Service, following the incident on Saturday.

One neighbour said: “It’s shocking, absolutely shocking. This poor woman had blood on her head and was in so much pain.

“We couldn’t even think about moving her, her arm was clearly broken.

“She was very distressed and we were well aware that at her age something like this could be very serious. We put blankets over her and tried to comfort her, but she kept asking what was going on.

“Everyone kept saying ‘where is the ambulance?’”

A passer-by, who saw the woman fall over as she approached her front door with her shopping trolley, initially phoned an ambulance at 1.17pm.

At least one follow up call was made to ask where the ambulance was before a paramedic arrived at 2.05pm.

The concerned neighbour – who asked not to be named – added: “This woman is a lovely lady and has lived in the road for 57 years. She’s probably never called an ambulance in her life.

“She wouldn’t like a lot of fuss over this but we feel something needs to be done.”

The woman is now being treated in Basildon Hospital and is said to be comfortable.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said it would be unfair to comment on the incident until an official complaint was received.

However he stressed: “First and foremost our trust takes these types of complaints very seriously and we are asking the family involved to make contact with us to discuss our response to this call.”