A MOTHER whose 32-year-old son was killed in a motorbike crash has demanded a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the "severe lack" of ambulance cover in the town where he died.

A MOTHER whose 32-year-old son was killed in a motorbike crash has demanded a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the "severe lack" of ambulance cover in the town where he died.

AnnSefton, a former ambulance driver in London, said she hoped other parents would never have to go through what she has endured.

In May last yearshe watched helplessly as her only son Tony lay in the road after his power bike smashed into a kerb in Chelmsford.

She said that from the time of the first 999 call at the scene of the accident in Gloucester Avenue, it was almost an hour before her son reached Broomfield Hospital, around five miles away.

Both ambulances at the town's only station in CovalLane were on other calls that afternoon and although a rapid response vehicle and paramedic reached the scene within seven minutes of the call, it was another 26 minutes before another ambulance from Maldon station arrived.

Mr Sefton, a father-of-three and a former stunt-rider with the famous Honda Imps as a boy, died the next day.

His mother yesterdaysaid she had been devastated to learn about Chelmsford's ambulance situation.

She has met Essex Ambulance NHS Trust chief executive Anthony Marsh on several occasions and on March 22, she will, together with Chelmsford West MP Simon Burns, personally deliver her 5,000-name Fighting For Tony petition to 10 Downing Street.

The petition calls for more ambulance cover in the county town of Essex, but she said she wanted to drum home this message to Tony Blair directly.

She said: "I've asked to see him, but apparently he doesn't do this sort of thing. It's a bit upsetting really when you think we're the ones who elected him.

"Although there's nothing that can be done to bring back my son, I want to be able to stop any other mother, father, brother or sister feeling how I do.

"I saw my son bleeding in the road and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. There were loads of people there all asking where the ambulance was – it just wasn't quick enough."

Mr Marsh said: "We have every sympathy with Mrs Sefton's family and you could always say that we could do with more resources, but in this case the time was unavoidable.

"Mr Sefton was being cared for by our paramedic seven minutes from the first 999 call until the ambulance arrived.

"Because both Chelmsford vehicles were on other emergency calls, one from Ongar was scrambled.

"But then a Maldon ambulance, which had just been to A&E in Broomfield, became free and so that was sent instead."