NEARLY 19,000 emergency incidents were reported to the North West Ambulance service last week during the warm weather.

Of these, 7,700 were life threatening and is a 12 per cent increase on last year’s figures.

Despite the public warnings, 18 separate incidents involved individuals being injured or getting into difficulty whilst in water – including the tragic death of a teenager in Chorley who got into difficultly whist swimming in a lake with friends.

Director of Emergency Services, Derek Cartwright explained: “We traditionally see a rise in the number of incidents, and we did prepare for this.

“We are once again urging the public to help us by not calling 999 unless it is a serious emergency. Our services are urgently needed by those who are seriously ill or have life-threatening conditions.

“We see avoidable accidents every day during the hot weather, especially on long weekends, such as the Bank Holiday, when people have extra time off work.”