THE East of England Ambulance Service is warning East Cambs residents to keep warm and stay safe as snow and freezing temperatures look set to dominate into the weekend.

The service is putting extra resources in place to deal with the period of cold weather and snow, including a fleet of 4x4s which are already on standby.

Neil Storey, director of emergency operations for the service, said that whilst plans were in place, people could help themselves by taking measures such as avoiding unnecessary outings, wearing sensible footwear and carrying supplies with them if they have to travel.

He said: “We ask that people bear with us during this period as priority is always given to the most life-threatening calls and our crews must look out for their own safety and that of other road users.

“Despite the adverse conditions across the region, especially in the eastern parts, we have increased our resources, brought in increased support services and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure that patients continue to receive the best response and the highest level of care given the circumstances.”

Further advice and winter tips can be found via the Get Wise in Winter campaign .

It includes advice about keeping you and your home warm and making sure you have everything in place to keep well including adequate stocks of food and medicines and notes of handy numbers like NHS Direct (0845 46 47), your GP, friends and family.