THE husband of a woman who had to lie on the ground in freezing conditions for three-quarters of an hour after her car hit black ice is advising people to carry foil survival blankets in their cars.

Richard Bailey claims that although firefighters and a paramedic came to the aid of his wife after the accident, in Madresfield, near Malvern, they did not have a foil blanket to keep her warm.

Mr Bailey, who is a volunteer with Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue, based at Upton-upon-Severn, said: "For the sake of a couple of pounds, you could save a life.

"These blankets fold up to about 3in square by 1in thick. They can be bought from outdoor leisure specialists and you can easily carry one in your pocket.

"Emergency services usually carry them, but there had been a spate of accidents that morning and I suppose they hadn't had time to re-equip."

Mrs Bailey, aged 42, skidded on black ice in Jennett Tree Lane last Thursday morning and her car left the road.

Someone helped her out of the smoking vehicle and called the fire and ambulance services at 8.23am.

Because she was complaining of neck pains, firefighters laid her on the ground on a folded tarpaulin and covered her with two firemen's tunics, a travelling rug and a honeycomb blanket.

"It was minus 2C with a wind chill factor of minus 10C," said Mr Bailey.

"A foil blanket would have kept out the wind, but she didn't get one until an ambulance arrived, after nine o'clock."

Fortunately, his wife was not seriously injured, but he stressed that it is essential that people suffering from shock after such accidents are kept warm.

"Everyone should carry a blanket or sleeping bag in the car at this time of year and walkers on the Malvern Hills should put a foil blanket in their pocket," he said.

Fire service spokesman Alec Mackie said there was a good reason firefighters took off their jackets to warm Mrs Bailey up, rather than use a foil blanket.

"If someone's body heat is normal, a foil blanket retains the heat, but if they are cold, foil keeps them cold," he said.