THE Scottish Ambulance Service has admitted they are unable to reveal how many vehicles broke down on the way to a job or moving a patient to hospitals in the Helensburgh, Clydebank and Dumbarton areas last year.

The stark admission follows a request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Alexandria man Mark Casey asked the SAS a series of questions about the service and their coverage of all areas of Clydebank, Dumbarton, Bowling, Old Kilpatrick, Alexandria, Balloch and Gartocharn from a period covering January 2016 to March 2017.

He asked them if, from January 2016 to January 2017, any ambulance had broken down on the way to a job or when moving a patient to hospital and how long it took to get a replacement.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We are unable to provide this information as we are unable to specify where the issue with the vehicle occurred.

“The total number of ambulance vehicles in postcodes G83, G84, G81, G60, for the time period January 2016 to January 2017 which went into our workshops at Glasgow, Lochgilphead and Vale of Leven was 118.

“This could have been for any maintenance issue on any ambulance vehicle, for example a replacement brake light bulb.”

Mr Casey, from Bonhill, blasted: “It is very worrying that they do not have these figures available. Some of the ambulances are old and in need of replacement. I would hope they are being well maintained.”

The service also revealed that between January 2016 to January 2017, 581 patients regarded as having potentially immediately life threatening conditions, for which the target is to respond to 75 per cent of such calls in eight minutes, arrived at either Vale of Leven Hospital or the Royal Alexander Hospital, Paisley.

Mr Casey, who is part of the on going Save the Vale Hospital Campaign, said: “I am really concerned that the response times are not meeting the government targets.

He added: “I had an asthma attack last August and was cared for by my daughter while waiting for the ambulance, which took an hour to respond.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman concluded: “In cases where the patient is serious but not in a life threatening condition the target is to respond to 95 per cent of such calls in 19 minutes.”