AN ambulance service has issued a plea for people to only call in a serious or life-threatening situation due to "extremely high demand".

Yorkshire Ambulance Service issued a statement this afternoon to say demand was having a "severe impact" on operations.

Members of the public are being asked to call the service only in a "serious or life-threatening" emergency.

Nick Smith, executive director of operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “We are currently experiencing extremely high demand today and this is having a severe impact on our operations.

"We are implementing a number of actions in order to protect our core services for patients and respond to the ongoing demand.

“These challenges are being managed in accordance with the trust’s usual protocols and the tried and tested plans it has in place.

“We are asking members of the public to only call us in a serious or life-threatening emergency to help us focus our efforts on our most poorly patients.

“Our dedicated staff are working extremely hard to reach patients as quickly and safely as possible.

“If someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk, they should call 999 immediately. For anyone with less serious illnesses and injuries, our NHS 111 service is available online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111."