AN 89-year-old woman was left to bleed in the street for three hours as she waited for an ambulance on Tuesday night after she tripped and hit the pavement face first.

Mavis Shewry broke her nose and chipped her cheeks in the 8pm fall outside her home in St Birinus Court, Lechlade, but South West Ambulance Service was too busy to come to her aid until 11pm.

Son Tony Shewry, 67, of The Dormers in Highworth, was with his mother and did what he could, but feared she was dying, such was the glut of blood in the road.

“I did [think she was dying], because she’s 89, lives on her own and she’s frail. She screamed, which neighbours across the road heard, 50 or 60 yards away,” he said.

Mavis was being returned home after her nightly visit to Tony and his wife Stella’s home for tea, but as she climbed out of her son’s car she tripped on the kerb and landed face first.

As Tony tended his mother, Stella, 60, dialled 999, but was told not to move Mavis and was given no indication of the wait which lay ahead.

“I told them my mother-in-law had fallen over, flat on her face, with blood everywhere, coming from her nose and out of her mouth,” she said.

“She was gargling and it was going into the back of her throat. They said they would send an ambulance.

“We are talking about an 89-year-old woman laying in the road, not a major road, but she is 89 years old for goodness sake.”

A paramedic in a rapid response vehicle, an estate car, arrived at 9pm and did what she could to care for Mavis, who has a replacement hip, but could not move her into the tight confines of the car.

The bleeding could not be stopped and Mavis was going pale, asking to sleep, according to Tony.

“We didn’t expect to be waiting three hours,” said Stella. “The paramedic lady came at 9pm and she was very good, but she had to keep ringing for back-up.”

Stella said the paramedic told the three of them it was a busy night and the service was stretched with too few staff.

“It was her (the paramedic) who told my husband he really should complain because they’re under so much stress,” she said.

The ambulance eventually arrived at 11pm and Mavis was taken to Great Western Hospital within minutes.

She was discharged on Wednesday and is now at home being monitored by Stella and Tony.

A spokesman for South West Ambulance Service said: “South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust would like to apologise for the delay and we wish the patient well in her recovery.

“At this particular time all of our resources in the area were utilised and dealing with other emergencies. The trust is investigating and will continue to liaise with the family.”