GOOD Samaritans came to an elderly war veteran’s rescue after his rescue ambulance got stuck in the snow.

Raymond Ansell, of Laurel Close, Wokingham, was ‘fighting for breath’ in the early hours of March 18 and required urgent medical attention.

Aware that he was in trouble, neighbours came to his aid and cleared the snow so that the 94-year-old could get to hospital.

He said: “I live on my own and I had been suffering from pain. I had an infection in my throat and at around 5am I was fighting for breath.

“The ambulance came promptly in the icy conditions, but when it tried to get away it got stuck.

"Six or seven of my neighbours came out with shovels and cleared the road for the ambulance and I think that is absolutely brilliant.

"They even followed the ambulance down the road to make sure that the ambulance could get away safely”

Mr Ansell was a member of the famous 242 squadron led by Sir Douglas Bader.

He said: “My wife went into a care home last year and I have been on my own since then.

"The nurses were very good to me and I was very surprised that they arrived so quickly on a Sunday morning in the snow.

"My neighbours were all absolutely brilliant. It truly was neighbours to the rescue.”

Since he returned home, Mr Ansell’s condition has improved and his neighbours have been checking in on him to help.