Singer sends signed present after discovering woman avoided hypothermic state by listening to his music after falling on icy pavement in Muswell Hill

IT was a Winter’s Tale to melt the heart as Muswell Hill police, residents and the music of singer David Essex all came to the unlikely rescue of a woman who fell foul of the icy weather this weekend.

Allison Roberts was forced to wait almost two hours in sub-zero conditions for an ambulance after she slipped in Fortis Green on Saturday night, breaking her ankle in three places.

But as the David Essex fan blacked out and slipped closer to a hypothermic state, local officer PC Caroline Davies had the unusual idea of lightening the mood by producing an iPod full of the heart-throb’s biggest hits to keep her conscious.

As the pop star once sang: “Every cloud has a silver lining” and after hearing of Ms Robert’s ordeal from the Broadway, Mr Essex has agreed to send the super-fan a special signed Christmas present while she recuperates at her Kent home.

Amateur darts player Ms Roberts was visiting the area to watch the Ladbrokes World Darts championship at Alexandra Palace when she slipped, close to the junction with Leaside Avenue.

“Luckily there were two police officers right behind us who told me not to move and phoned the ambulance. They were absolutely fantastic,” said Ms Roberts, 49.

Police placed Ms Roberts on a board to get her off the ice and nearby residents and passers-by all attempted to help, with one neighbour bringing out a hot water bottle and a blanket.

Eventually, police made the decision to move her into the foyer of a block of flats, where they talked to her to keep her awake.

“At one point my friend and PC Davies were talking about all the celebrities that live in the area,” said Ms Roberts. “I said, ‘Don’t tell me David Essex lives round here, because if he does I’ll have to make more of an effort’.

“My friend told Caroline I was mental about him and she said she could play me his music as she had some on her iPod, so I was in great pain, listening to him singing away – it was quite something.

“The music helped because at one point I’d had enough and I just wanted something for the pain and they couldn’t give me anything in case I had to have an operation, but the music lightened the mood and lifted me a bit – it was one of those moments – you had to be there to believe it.”

On hearing the story, Mr Essex, who lives in Bloomsbury, told the Broadway: “I’m glad my music could be of some help.

“I have heard of things like this before over the years and it’s wonderful as a writer to think some of the songs relate to people like they do. I’m just glad she’s OK.”

PC Davies, of the Fortis Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team – who played Ms Roberts songs such as “Hold me Close”, “Rock on” and “Winter’s Tale” – said: “Allison was really positive and singing along. She knew all the words, which was a good sign she was doing all right.”

The police were out and about as part of the Muswell Hill area week of action, which saw them work with the council to keep the area clean and safe.