London paramedics are urging Londoners to celebrate Halloween responsibly this weekend, as figures from the past five years show alcohol-related incidents were more than a third higher on Halloween than on a normal October day. The warning comes as the capital's ambulance service braces for one of its busiest weekends of the year.

Breathing problems add to pressure

October is on course to be the second-busiest month of the year so far for London Ambulance Service, with more than 200,000 calls to 999 expected, second only to July, when London experienced extreme heat. Calls for the sickest patients, known as Category 1, have risen steadily through the month to around 480 a day, compared with around 400 on a typically busy day.

When to call 999

The service says it is already experiencing increased demand, including a rise in patients with breathing difficulties, with elderly and vulnerable people among the hardest hit. This month paramedics have treated more than 9,000 patients face to face with respiratory and breathing issues, while calls to 111 have risen 12.5 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Chief Operating Officer Craig Harman said Halloween brings parties, trick-or-treating and firework displays across London, and asked revellers to drink responsibly, plan their journey home and be considerate of others, particularly children, older people and those who may be vulnerable.

The service is reminding Londoners that 999 is for life-threatening emergencies only. For other urgent medical concerns, people should contact NHS 111, which helps crews reach the people who need them most.

With Halloween falling at the end of an already demanding month, small choices by revellers, such as eating before drinking and travelling home safely, can help crews reach someone in genuine danger faster.

Sources: London Ambulance Service.