Assistant chief ambulance officer John Pooley, who led the service's response this New Year's Eve, said in the early hours demand was extremely high and a lot of the extra calls were because of alcohol-related injuries.

BBC: London New Year's Eve celebrations: Big rise in patients

Mr Jackson was the chief station officer for the ambulance service at Keswick and Barrow, before working for Hartley's Ice Cream.

BBC: Cumbria shootings: Victim profiles

Dame Barbara Hakin, the interim chief operating officer for NHS England, said the organisations providing the 111 services, which include ambulance services, private companies and NHS Direct, would face having their contracts revoked if they continued to fall below the expected standards.

BBC: NHS 111 advice line 'still fragile'