Ambulance crews told how they had received a lot of support as they went out on strike.

Staff formed a picket line at Weymouth Ambulance Station as part of a 24-hour walkout by unions to demand better pay and working conditions.

It is the second strike by ambulance workers in three weeks.

But despite being on strike, some of the workers still responded to emergencies, with members heading out in ambulances to attend to serious incidents, while staff also helped a casualty who had collapsed outside McDonald's, opposite the picket line.

Some members of the public showed their support to the strikers with some coming up to speak to the workers, while others beeped their horns and shouted messages of support from their cars.

Various items of food were donated to those on strike to keep them going throughout the day.

Speaking from the picket line at Weymouth yesterday Nick Day, a union leader for GMB Southern, a trade union for ambulance staff, said: "It's really, really solid here at Weymouth, we have been going since six o'clock this morning.

“It has been getting stronger and stronger throughout the day. The public have donated loads of food for our members as well.

"What is really touching is members of the public who have been treated by these people come up and say 'you treated me five months ago, you saved my life, I knew you were out on strike today and I wanted to come out and show my gratitude and support and we understood your worth'."

Highlighting one of the reasons behind the strike action Mr Day said: "One thing that is important that the public know is when crews go out there is normally a paramedic and what we call an emergency care assistant (ECA).

"The ECAs are dealing with category one calls which include heart attacks or incidents with a severe chance of loss of life.

"Those ECAs are on £11 an hour, and they're telling me that they could get a job at Aldi or Lidl for more than that.

"We are saving lives and not being paid a respectful amount of money."

During the strikes, Dorset County Hospital expected its emergency department to be under increased pressure.

It said: "We will focus our resources on helping the most seriously injured and unwell patients during industrial action.

"Anyone attending emergency departments with less urgent conditions will face a long wait and likely be directed to other local health services once assessed. Urgent Treatment Centres, Minor Injuries Units, GPs and pharmacists will all be available."

They urged that if an incident is life-threatening to call 999 but to ease pressures on the service call 111 or visit the NHS website.