A scooter crash victim - left injured on the pavement in the rain - had to wait four hours until an ambulance arrived.

Despite bleeding from his face with "numb" hands and legs the rider had to rely on residents to offer comfort after the accident in Hatfield on Tuesday at 8pm.

Residents in Hazel Grove, where the accident happened, said they called the ambulance up to 12 times and were told they would arrive in two hours.   

An East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust spokesperson apologised for the delay but said they must "prioritise patients with immediately life-threatening conditions."

Good samaritan Kunal Mehta, 24, a University of Hertfordshire student, who helped the injured man said: “He was bleeding from his face and his hands and legs were numb.

"We continued to call them to let them know he was in a critical situation and that he really needed help, but they kept making excuses and did not show up."

According to the Cyber Security student, paramedics arrived on the scene four hours later, around midnight. The police also arrived five minutes later. 

The good Samaritan said: “The police said they don’t need an audience, but we were the ones who helped him.

"At the time of the accident it was raining, and he was shivering, so we put blankets on him and an umbrella above, to keep him covered and safe until help came. 

“The police showed up five minutes after the ambulance. He was put on a stretcher and soon after the police left."

An EEAST spokesperson said: "The NHS is currently facing incredibly high demand, and this means that we must prioritise patients with immediately life-threatening conditions, such as heart attacks and major trauma. We would like to apologise for the distress this causes.  

"We are carrying out a number of initiatives across the region to increase the number of ambulances, ambulance drivers, and clinical staff to help ensure patients are reached as quickly as possible.  

"We are also working closely with local hospitals to improve handover times."