Animal rescuer Trevor Weeks had to be rescued himself when he collapsed in his ambulance after being bitten by a fox.

Paramedics were called to his aid when the volunteer for the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) lapsed into unconsciousness.

Mr Weeks had been to the rescue of a collapsed fox in Newhaven yesterday morning.

The fox was taken to Meridian vets in Peacehaven where it bit Mr Weeks' thumb during an examination.

Mr Weeks said: "It was extremely painful. It was only a young fox and their teeth are very sharp. I did feel a bit weird in the vets' so I sat down for a while."

Mr Weeks' injury was bandaged and he was taking the fox to Telscombe Cliffs when he felt unwell.

He said: "I was driving along and I felt nauseous. I was sweating buckets."

He pulled the ambulance over to the side of the road and called a colleague for help before passing out.

A colleague called on Sussex Ambulance Service for help and paramedics discovered Mr Weeks' blood sugar level was low.

He said: "I think being bitten and being called out in the early hours of the morning had a lot to do with it."

After treatment Mr Weeks rested at a fellow volunteer's home before getting back on the road.