He says up to forty hours of ambulance cover will be lost.

Presently there are three fully staffed ambulances serving Ballymena every day.

"However, under a £1.2 million efficiency drive, this service is to be reduced to two ambulances. This equates to the evening skeleton cover already in place in the area," he said.

Mr. Paisley has also revealed that nowhere else is being asked to suffer the same cut in local services, for example, the Ardoyne in West Belfast will continue to be serviced by three ambulances; only one ambulance will actually be cut from Belfast.

NIAS have been informed that they can attempt to make up the difference by deploying an RRV, that is one of the 4x4 jeeps with an onboard paramedic.

Although this vehicle may be able to reach the scene of an accident more quickly, it cannot, however, be used to transport a casulaty to the hospital.

The DUP MLA expressed concern for the Ballymena area if it should face a heavy workload on any given day, with more than two ambulances already in use and a third emergency occuring. Indeed, this is not unknown given that Ballymena has to cover remote distances in the Glens of Antrim.

The Assemblyman showed his concern, stating "it is apparent that Ballymena has been asked to take the lion's share of the cuts."
He contacted the Minister for Health yesterday, asking him to reassess the impact that this strategy will have on a district the size of Ballymena.

Mr Paisley says "I am calling on my Assembly colleagues to join me in this effort and to ensure that everything is done to protect the ambulance cover we have in Ballymena."