A Norwich man falsely called the East of England Ambulance Trust (EEAST) almost 100 times - including once when he said he was a woman who had suffered a heart attack, a magistrates court heard.

A man falsely called an ambulance almost 100 times - including one time when he said he was a woman who had suffered a heart attack, a court heard.

Norwich Magistrates Court heard Blake Amies, 26, made 97 bogus 999 calls in less than three months - including 25 times when an ambulance was sent out.

Amies was the subject of a criminal behaviour order (CBO), which banned him from falsely contacting the emergency services.

On Tuesday, he appeared in court to admit eight breaches of the CBO for making the calls to the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST).

During the calls he said he needed emergency care but did not.

Stacie Cossey, prosecuting, said between October 23 last year and February 1 this year he had called for an ambulance on 97 occasions.

On 84 occasions he called from his home, while he called from somewhere else 13 times.

The court heard the ambulance service attended 25 times, including on one occasion in December last year when he said a female had suffered a cardiac arrest but then he said it was him.

Miss Cossey said EEAST estimated the cost of the calls to Amies to be £8,000.

Amies, of Thorpe Road, Norwich, also admitted breach of a separate criminal behaviour order on November 12 last year after it was imposed in July 2017 and also using threatening behaviour on the same date, November 12 2017.

Ryan Creek, mitigating, said Amies was a 'very unwell man', with a number of mental health issues, including severe anxiety, ADHD, numerous personality disorders and bi-polar.

He said Amies was a 'vulnerable adult' who has been addicted to alcohol since the age of 12. He used to drink nine litres of cider a day but had cut that down to two to three litres.

Mr Creek said when he drank, Amies 'gets scared' and then called the emergency services.

Mr Creek said he has been homeless and made the subject of numerous criminal behaviour orders.

Val Khambata, chairman of the bench of magistrates, said the bench thought a prison sentence was 'inevitable' but sent it to the crown court for sentence at a date to be fixed.

Amies was granted conditional bail.