A MAN who lost a pint of blood after suffering a nose bleed claims he had to wait for five minutes to speak to a 999 operator.

Blood poured from George Hinkinson's nose and mouth and collected in pools on the bathroom floor.

Despite the desperate attempts of wife Carole, aged 57, to contact the emergency services, the couple were put on hold -- then transferred to a call centre in Scotland.

Mr Hinkinson was covered in blood and admitted he was frightened for his life.

The 60-year-old was also close to collapse as his strength became sapped through loss of blood.

Mr Hinkinson, of Fairways, Horwich, said: "My wife was in the bedroom and I could hear her pleading with the operator to put her through.

"All the time I was trying to mop up the blood and went through more than half a roll of toilet paper.

"It wouldn't stop. I was becoming worried and my wife was panicking.

"How can this be allowed to happen? The operator was apologetic but I became quite scared when I think about the potential life-threatening situation this could put people in.

"Minutes can be vital."

Mr Hinkinson was told by doctors at the Royal Bolton Hospital that he had lost a pint of blood. According to medical experts, there have been cases where people have died from a nose bleed.

An ambulance from Blackrod arrived at his home two minutes after he had spoken to the emergency services call operator in Scotland.

Hospital staff were at a loss to explain how the nose bleed started. Mr Hinkinson said: "I was told it could have due to the heat."

But despite the serious of the situation, a spokesman for the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said : "We have no record of a complaint by Mr Hinkinson, but he can contact us if he wants."