Ambulance crew stuck behind barrier after call to Marbury Park

The incident happened at around 11.30am on Sunday, January 30, when Dawn Wardle slipped in the park and dislocated her knee.

She had been walking her dogs with partner Nigel Stockall when the accident happened.

After Nigel called an ambulance and directed it to the tip entrance of the park, he went to meet them only to find out they were unable to get past a locked barrier gate.

"They asked me if I'd telephoned the ranger to ask him to open it, but I told them there was no number on the gate to call," Nigel said.

"They had to make their own enquiries and it took them a while before they were told the rangers don't work at weekends.

"The crew had to walk half a mile to meet Dawn, pushing a wheelchair and carrying gas and air.

"The paramedics did a fantastic job having to walk there and back.

"One of the crew half-joked that it's a good she hadn't had a heart attack as she would have been dead by now."

Marbury Park as taken by Guardian Camera Club member Andrew Pratt

Nigel and Dawn, who are both 45 and live in Weaverham, were keen to stress that something needs to be done to avert a potentially fatal incident in the future.

"She's at home now and didn't actually need to go to hospital in the end," Nigel added.

"I'm a qualified first-aider myself, so I knew right away what she'd done.

"I asked some passers-by to stay with her while I went to meet the ambulance.

"Even if they'd used the main entrance to the park, there is another barrier by the bridge, which would have been about a mile away.

"The ambulance crew were really frustrated about it.

"The female paramedic did manage to speak to someone but were told none of the rangers work at weekends.

"It's crazy that there is nobody around to open the barrier of a weekend, when it's the busiest time for the park.

"If the incident was more serious there would be a fatality due to the lack of access."

Cheshire West and Chester Council have been approached for a comment.