An ambulance service has urged members of the public to "act responsibly" and avoid "unnecessary risks" as it declared a critical incident. East Midlands Ambulance Service made the move on Saturday at 2.30pm, after what was described as "additional challenges created by this week's extreme heat".

The ambulance service said to have experienced a "significant increase in demand" alongside ongoing pressure within the wider NHS as a blistering heatwave raged across much of the UK. After triggering a critical incident, the service said it would continue to prioritise responding to life-threatening and serious incidents.