The Welsh Ambulance Service has apologised to the family of a Gwendraeth Valley pensioner after she was left waiting for almost five hours for a paramedic after falling out of her wheelchair in Leekes.

Margaret Davies, from Tumble, was out shopping with her friend when she fell out of her chair when entering the aquatic centre at the Cross Hands store.

The ambulance service was called at 2.15pm, but did not get to Mrs Davies until 6.45pm.

The 78-year-old remained on the floor for the duration after staff members and her friend were afraid to lift her following previous operations.

Mrs Davies' son Stephen would like to thank the staff members at Leekes Cross Hands who stayed after the store closed to help the pensioner.

The grandmother stayed in hospital overnight but there was no further damage following the incident.

Rob Jeffery, the Welsh Ambulance Service's Operations Manager for the Hywel Dda Health Board area, said: "We would like to apologise to Mrs Davies and her family for what must have been a particularly difficult wait, as it does not represent the experience we want to provide for our patients.

"On Monday our ambulance crews encountered significant handover delays at hospitals, which meant we were unable to respond to some patients, including Mrs Davies, as quickly as we'd like. While she waited, her condition was assessed by a clinician in our control room.

"We recognise the impact handover delays have on people, and are committed to working with our hospital colleagues to alleviate pressures and keep our highly skilled staff available to help patients.

"If Mrs Davies and her family would like to discuss their concerns with us then we would be more than happy to do so. In the meantime, we send her our very best wishes."