Ambulance's frustration after car parks directly behind it blocking access to stretchers and medical supplies

East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said it encountered the problem in Nottinghamshire - with the white car's parking making it "impossible" for stretchers to be taken inside the ambulance.

Crews said the patient was treated at home but EMAS has now pleaded with motorists to park further away in future to avoid "potentially disastrous consequences in a life-threatening emergency".

In a tweet, EMAS said: "Polite notice: sometimes we need to open our back doors to take patients inside who may be on a stretcher.

"Unfortunately, one of our crews, last night, went outside to discover this is how their patient's neighbour had parked next to them, making this impossible."

EMAS chief operating officer David Whiting said: "I would ask all motorists to think carefully about how they park near any of our ambulances or emergency response cars.

"Leaving vehicles where they could hinder access or delay our teams from getting a patient on the ambulance could have potentially disastrous consequences in a life-threatening emergency, often where every second counts.

"I would also like to remind drivers to park considerately and never leave their vehicle in a position where they could prevent emergency vehicles getting through to the scene of an emergency."