THE East Midlands Ambulance Service dealt with a record number of calls yesterday - 457 more than on a typical Friday.
In total, 2,384 emergency calls were received and EMAS officials blamed excessive drinking for the majority of the calls.
An EMAS spokesman said: "We geared up for a very busy night because the last Friday before Christmas is traditionally a time of high demand as people finish work and start to party.
"Sadly, many of the patients we dealt with had their night out spoilt and some will even be spending Christmas in hospital rather than with their family and friends.
"We expect the increase in demand to continue over Christmas and into the New Year and whilst we don't want to be killjoys, we'd urge people to drink sensibly to avoid the same problems happening to them."
