Yate man died as paramedics walked through the door after 11-hour ambulance wait

• Watch Ross Arnott's report

A family from Yate have paid tribute to a much-loved partner, father and grandfather who he died while waiting 11 hours for an ambulance.

Steve Iles was at home with with his wife of 45 years Jean when he started to feel unwell.

Concerned about worrying emergency workers over something which may not be serious, Jean called the NHS's non-emergency number 111.

She was told to monitor her husband but when his health deteriorated rapidly through the night she made a call to the number again. At 5am, she was told an ambulance would be dispatched to them.

Steve, aged 63, died within moments of the paramedics crews arriving at their home 11 hours later - at around 4pm.

South Western Ambulance Service says an internal review is underway.

"45 years we were married and I knew him for a few years before that," Jean told ITV News West Country.

"What can I say? We've lost a partner, a friend and someone who we were safe and I don't know what I shall do without him.

"He died right in front of me, I was helping him and it was horrific the way he went. I will never forget it, I see it all the time when I try to sleep it just goes round and round.

"I never said goodbye and I never told him I loved him. It didn't happen, I didn't have chance.

"He knows I love him, but it would have been nice to have been able to say it and see his eyes when I said it. Now I don't know what I am going to do without him, I have no idea."

Steve was violently vomiting and was showing signs of internal bleeding. It was later found that he had a hernia which was strangling his small bowel.

This then caused issues with the blood supply to his heart.

"If they would have come out when I rang, the outcome might have been a lot different," Jean said.

Steve's daughter Claire lives in the next road and said she went to see her parents at around 7am on the morning of March 19.

She said she instantly knew something was wrong.

"Dad was a bit poorly the day before and mum called 111," she said.

"We were told on the morning that an ambulance was on its way but we started to get worried and kept calling them back."

Claire said the 999 call handler then asked her if they would be able to get Steve to hospital themselves.

"We just couldn't move him," she said.

"Every time we tried to he would pass out or would be sick again. We didn't know what was wrong and we thought we may be doing more damage.

"There was absolutely no way we could have got him anywhere by ourselves.

"The last phone call I made to 999 I said to them if you don't get an ambulance to us now he is going to be gone. He has gone grey.

"As the paramedics walked in the door, he passed away. He had a lot to look forward to. It has all been taken away from him and us."

The family were full of praise for the paramedic crews who did finally arrive at their home.

They hope by telling others about their loss, it may help to save someone else's life in the future.

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the friends and family of Mr Iles.

“We are currently conducting an internal review into this incident, and the findings will be shared with Mr Iles’ next of kin on completion.”