PARAMEDICS and police raced to Swindon Magistrates' Court this afternoon after a man awaiting sentence collapsed outside.

The 28-year-old, who has not been named, had appeared in court earlier in the afternoon and court staff say he was not showing any signs of ill health.

He was due to return after lunch to hear what his punishment would be but he never made it, collapsing outside on the court steps shortly before 2pm.

An ambulance responded and a police officer was also dispatched to help with the situation.

The man was conscious and was seen to lash out at the paramedics as they attempted to treat him.

He was strapped onto a stretcher and taken into the ambulance.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service said: "We were called to Princes Street at 1.58pm to reports that someone had collapsed.

"No injuries were reported but a 28-year-old man was taken to Great Western Hospital for further assessment."

Shortly after the ambulance left, court security staff checked the area where the incident had occurred and found an uncapped syringe in the bushes.

It was safely removed by the staff and taken into the court for proper disposal.