AN election candidate saved a critically ill man's life by making a mercy dash to Inverclyde Royal while out canvassing for votes.

Conservative council hopeful Ted Runciman was on the campaign trail in Gourock when he came across the distraught partner of a man in agony who was stranded and turned out to be suffering from an internal stomach abscess which required emergency surgery.

Mr Runciman initially tried to call an ambulance for the stricken man only to be told that it could take over an hour for paramedics to arrive.

He knew this could be too late so he immediately decided to drive the man to the hospital himself for vital emergency treatment.

Recounting the drama of last Saturday's unexpected rescue mission, Ted said: "The guy had been sent across from Dunoon by his doctor.

"They came across on the ferry and as they got to McInroy's Point he took very ill indeed.

"His wife does not drive and she was standing by her car in tears.

"I asked her what was wrong and she told me her husband wasn't well at all and that he needed to get to the hospital.

"When I phoned for an ambulance they said it could be an hour or more.

"We got into my car and drove up to Inverclyde Royal and got him straight to the A&E department."

Mr Runciman, who is standing for election in the Inverclyde West ward, praised the casualty staff for their speedy response attending to the patient.

He said: "They were very quick, got him to a chair and the doctors took care of him."

After arriving at Inverclyde Royal, the man underwent emergency surgery at Paisley's RAH and he is now understood to be recovering.

Thoughtful Mr Runciman also returned to McInroy's Point to check on his concerned family after taking him to IRH.

Ted says he returned to canvassing once he knew that the man was in safe hands and had reassured his family.

But he has hit out over the length of time that the man would have had to wait for an ambulance.

He added: "To call an ambulance for something like this and be told that it might take a long time is absolutely ridiculous.

"One of the things that I'll be canvassing on is the state of the ambulance service, and in some respects this was an example of how bad things are.

"I've been working down in the south of England for forty years before I came back up here.

"I was shocked at the state of quite a number of things - the NHS and particularly what they're doing with Inverclyde Royal where they're just eroding away the services."