A senior paramedic today urged readers to back the Oxford Mail's fundraising campaign for a fast-response motorcycle after struggling through traffic to reach a dying pensioner.

Last month, we launched a campaign to raise £15,000 to buy the Medibike, capable of beating a speedy path through Oxfordshire's increasingly clogged roads in the race to reach injured or seriously ill patients.

Yesterday, an Abingdon man in his 70s died from a cardiac arrest. A team of paramedics was on the scene in minutes but David Banham, Oxfordshire Ambulance Service's assistant service delivery manager, was called to provide assistance. He struggled to get to the destination in his marked car because of the traffic.

Mr Banham, who has worked as a paramedic for the past 19 years, said: "I was called to provide assistance at the emergency and I was stuck in my car on the Oxford ring road between the Heyford Hill and the Hinksey Hill roundabouts.

"There was also a lot of traffic on Wootton Road outside Abingdon. When traffic is solid it is difficult to make progress and that is incredibly frustrating on an emergency call. "In this case, my colleagues were already with the patient but I immediately thought how much better it would have been if I had been on a motorbike. The gentleman's condition was so serious on this occasion that I don't think my help could have made a difference but in future, having the option of using the bike could save lives."

The bike would be a specially converted 200mph Suzuki Hayabusa, complete with blue lights, sirens and special carry cases.

Just under £5,000 - a third of the target - has already been raised. Cheques can be made payable to the Oxfordshire Ambulance Service Charitable Fund and sent to the Promotions Department at the Oxford Mail, Osney Mead, OX2 0EJ.

Story date: Friday 05 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.