Portsmouth woman '˜suffered serious medical emergency' that medics feared was stabbing

Police had shut Earlsdon Street, Southsea, with paramedics rushing to the scene this morning.

The air ambulance circled overhead and landed nearby but the patient was taken to Southampton General Hospital by road.

A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said: '˜This was a serious medical emergency '“ originally it was thought it might have been a stabbing but that was not the case when we got on scene.

'˜We sent a paramedic team leader in a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance to the scene and after initial treatment the patient was taken to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton by road.'

Delivery driver Jonathan Barritt, 54, was unloading pallets from a lorry when the drama unfolded before 11am today.

He said: '˜I was just unloading this lorry here and a chap came rushing down to where there was a taxi and asked if there was a first aider and said a lady had collapsed on the corner.'

A 38-year-old man in Leamington House told The News: '˜There's a lady was on the ground outside Leamington House. Police are there with tape and an ambulance.'

He said there was blood on the ground.

A Hampshire police spokeswoman said: '˜It was a medical episode. No criminal offences reported.'