T IS with heavy heart that I write this letter about the ambulance service and the limited vehicles that we rely on in an emergency. My comments concern the use of ambulances which have had to be rescued by people with four-wheel-drive vehicles.

If one ambulance gets stuck in snow, then it can be assumed that the rest of the fleet must be in danger of getting bogged down during a journey to hospital for some poor soul who needs help.

Nothing I write is intended to show any disrespect to the good, hard-working staff who come to our aid when we need them most.

My point is simply that when a system is designed to cover 365 days and nights of the year, it must, by definition, be equipped to cope in all weather conditions.

What the recent bad weather has shown is that the ambulance service is not equipped to cover all weather conditions, as we saw from the Oxford Mail report.

Our other rescue services, like the fire service can meet any situation at any time of the year.

The lifeboat service goes to the rescue of ships, even in force 10 gales, with confidence in the boats it uses.

Designing an ambulance with four-wheel-drive is not rocket science. Any van body can be adapted to fit any sub-frame or base.

Yes, it would cost more to do, but what price can we place on a life?

Maurice Shea, Hadland Road, Abingdon