EMERGENCY air crews who recorded their busiest weekend in two years today said: "It proves just how much we are needed."

Paramedics at the Blackpool-based North West Air Ambulance found themselves working over time this weekend after being called out to no fewer than 22 mercy missions across the region.

The helicopter's busiest day they had clocked up so far was nine jobs but said they had never known anything like this.

Two of the incidents they attended were in Lancashire, including the motorway pile up on the M61 near Chorley on Saturday morning, in which two people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, and a hang-glider who crashed on Fair Snape Fell, near Chipping on Friday night.

The 35-year-old man was taken to Preston Royal Hospital with lower leg injuries and cuts and bruises.

Paramedics also flew to other accidents as far afield as Rochdale when they were called to rescue two boys who were stuck on a cliff, as well as the Lake District when a man suffered a serious heart attack 2,500ft up on a mountain.

They also attended a fatal road collision in Cumbria after a motorbike collided head on with a car.

And their job is not over when they have dropped casualties at hospital. For every patient there is another half an hour or an hour of paper work to catch up on, recording all their details.

The registered charity receives no NHS or government funding and leasing and staffing costs about £700,000 a year, much of it donated by the National Association of Air Ambulances, sponsored by the AA.

There is also a fundraising lottery in place for extra cash and for just £1 a week entrants can win up to £1,000.

Graham Bowen, one of the paramedics who worked this weekend, said: "It was horrendously busy.

"The most we have attended in one day is nine but for us to go out to this many in one weekend is quite possibly the busiest three days on record since the air ambulance was set up in 1999." Mr Bowen believed the recent hot weather was partly to blame for many of the accidents and said: "The weather gets more people out and about which is responsible for some of our call outs.

"Sadly the majority are accidents involving motor cyclists because people decide to blow the cob webs off their bikes and go for a ride.

"The reopening of the Lake District after the foot and mouth has also meant a lot more people are enjoying the fresh air again."

But he used the busy time to highlight the necessity of the emergency service and said: "It was vital we attended the man who suffered a cardiac arrest in the Lake District as we were able to land the aircraft right next to him, treat him and take him on to the Royal Preston Hospital.

"It's good that we are here and proves that we are needed because we have done so many jobs.

"It is good that we are able to help so many people and shows that we are being used by those who really need us."