CARS parked near frozen Afton Reservoir blocked an ambulance last week - forcing a helicopter to be called out to rescue a fall victim.

The access route to the reservoir had been blocked by drivers on January 3 who had left their cars in such a way that the ambulance that tried to attend to the stricken person could not get through.

One concerned resident, who lives in the Afton Glen, told the Chronicle: “For the last week the Afton has been over run with people and traffic.

“For two days I could not get up the single track road because of people parking their cars on both sides of the road and yesterday was the final straw.

“People have been using the dam wall as a sledging rink, there was a bad accident and the ambulance couldn’t get up because of traffic so there was a helicopter rescue.

“The NHS are stretched as it is.

“I know people need to get out but they were coming from all over, not just East Ayrshire and the police haven’t got the resources to keep on top of things but this is of great concern to the people who live and work in the Glen.”

Many people have been making the most of the wintry weather to get and about in the beautiful East Ayrshire countryside.

Sledges have been bombing down the banks beside the reservoir and would-be skaters have been gliding across the dam wall, using the frozen surface as an ice-rink.

Prof Michael Griffin, president of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh told the BBC that injuries caused by the recent cold snap, such as people falling over and breaking hips and wrists are likely to place more pressure on an already overwhelmed health service.