An 86-year-old woman was left waiting outside in the cold for an ambulance for 45 minutes after a fall.

Peggy Bryan, of Brooklands Avenue, Maryport, fell and hit her head on the pavement near her home, on Tuesday.

While friends, family and passers-by rushed to her aid, she endured a wait of three quarters of an hour – and two 999 calls – before medical help arrived.

Health campaigner Bill Barnes had just given Mrs Bryan a lift from the coffee and crack event at Ewanrigg Community Centre before her fall.

He said: “I looked back and saw she had fallen. I checked on her and then ran to get her grandson Chris.”

Finding his grandmother shaking, and unsure whether she was seriously injured or just cold, Mr Bryan called 999 at about 1.15pm.

He said he was told not to move Mrs Bryan until paramedics arrived in case she was injured. But 30 minutes later, there was still no sign of an ambulance. Mr Bryan rang 999 again and said he was told there was no ambulance available but someone would be there soon.

A paramedic in a rapid response vehicle arrived just after 2pm.

Because of the cold, Mrs Bryan’s grandson and friend raised her to a seated position while they were waiting, with Mr Barnes sitting with his back against hers to try to protect her from the bitter wind.

A passing courier saw them and gave Mrs Bryan his woolly hat to keep her warm.

Mrs Bryan said: “I was a postwoman for 17 years and I never once wore a hat but I put it on this time.”

A young man then offered a warm jacket.

Mrs Bryan said: “I told him to put it on Bill and me. We were both so cold.”

But Mr Bryan, who had already fetched a blanket, said trying to keep his grandmother warm had been very difficult.

He praised the paramedic who attended and both he and Mrs Bryan said they understood the need to priortise urgent 999 calls but said an 86-year-old lying on a cold pavement should be a high priority.

Mr Barnes, who is chairman of the town’s Save Our Beds campaign, added: “She may not have been seriously injured in the fall but she could well have got hypothermia waiting.”

An ambulance service spokeswoman confirmed that it had received Mr Bryan’s initial call at 1.16pm.

She added: “The trust prioritises the dispatch of ambulances according to clinical need and unfortunately, although we would like to get to all of our patients as quickly as possible, this does mean that those with non-life-threatening conditions may have to wait longer for a response.”