THE ambulance service in the region has reported a record number of calls over the New Year period.

Police forces made hundreds of arrests, mostly for violence and public order offences, on a busy night for the emergency services.

From noon until midnight on New Year's Eve, the North- East Ambulance Service received 592 calls.

Then, from midnight until noon on New Years Day, 1,042 calls were received - the most on record.

The main reasons for the calls were people with breathing difficulties or chest pains, falls, assaults, and drink and drug incidents.

Paul Liversidge, director of accident and emergency services, praised hard-working staff for coping with the high demand, but criticised people who made "frivolous calls".

Among a catologue of unnecessary calls to the emergency service, which covers Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham, was one from a woman who complained that her boots were too tight.

Mr Liversidge said: "It is frustrating for crews when they have to deal with minor injuries, when they might otherwise be needed to handle life-threatening cases they are so highly trained for - but they dealt with all cases with professionalism and enthusiasm."

The Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service received 2,599 emergency calls in the five days from Christmas Day, an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year.

More than 40 people were arrested across Teesside, where the Cleveland Police switchboard received more than 1,000 calls for help from the public, including more than 600 calls to the 999 service.

A force spokesman said: "The one common denominator running through the calls was excess alcohol."

A spokeswoman for Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital said accident and emergency staff were still run off their feet hours after the celebrations finished.

New Year revellers caused headaches for police across North Yorkshire, where officers made 97 arrests between midnight on New Year's Eve and midnight on New Year's Day - about double the number they make on a normal weekend.

Police in County Durham claimed a victory after a reasonably quiet New Year's Eve.

More than 60 people were arrested during the night, the majority for alcohol-fuelled crimes.

But Inspector Steve Ball said the force had learnt from previous New Year's Eve celebrations, and a strategy that saw uniformed officers visiting pubs proved effective.

He said: "We responded well to all priority calls overnight, and got out to most calls within ten minutes.

"We had enough officers about and we have learned from previous nights to be resilient. The main thing is not one officer was injured."