A CRICKETER says he was shocked when an air ambulance turned up a cricket club to help a player who had suffered a serious cut to his hand.

Hector Preston, of Fingringhoe Road, Colchester, was playing at Earls Colne Cricket Club when the man was injured trying to field the ball.

Mr Preston, 29, said: "The player had split the bit of skin between his fore-finger and his thumb and he was complaining that he was feeling a bit faint.

"I couldn't believe it when it landed, I know it's based nearby but by the time they walked across the pitch and got inside, the land ambulance had arrived too.

"I just thought that it seems like a huge waste of money and resources - what if it had been needed elsewhere at a car crash or a natural disaster like a landslip?"

The incident happened at around 3pm on Saturday, July 14.

It has been suggested the air ambulance may have been returning to base in Earls Colne when the call came in.

A spokesman for Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases because of patient confidentiality.

"Our crews are tasked by the East of England Ambulance Service using information received via the 999 system and great care is taken by EHAAT and EEAST to ensure that they only attend the most serious cases.

"In a small percentage of missions crews attend incidents that are, thankfully, less serious than at first thought.

"Each helicopter is crewed by a pilot, a co-pilot, a pre-hospital care doctor, and a critical care paramedic who are accompanied on occasion by a trainee clinician.

"We are not publicly funded. As a charity we receive only limited funding from central government.

"It costs over £500,000 a month to keep our life-saving service operational, and this comes from our supporters across Essex and Hertfordshire.”