The Scottish Ambulance Service has promised a detailed inquiry

Residents in the Cowal Peninsula said that on a number of occasions ambulances took several hours to arrive or did not arrive at all.

One incident involved a child with breathing problems, local people said.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has promised to look into the complaints as "a priority".

Until recently one ambulance covered the 200 square miles of the peninsula.

Services 'stretched'

Ambulance managers were told a child with breathing difficulties had to wait more than two hours for an ambulance on two occasions.

They were also informed that a cancer patient had to be driven to hospital by his wife when he contracted an infection and an ambulance failed to arrive.

The service admitted it has been stretched by having to transfer increasing numbers of patients to Paisley and Greenock.