An ambulance involved in a double death crash while attending a call-out for a cut finger would also have been sent to a patient with a split nail, a fatal accident inquiry heard yesterday.

A senior member of the Scottish Ambulance Service yesterday defended the decision to send the ambulance involved in the crash in which Mr William Mullen and Mrs Jean Jack died, to a patient who had cut his finger after falling on a ring.

Mr Richard Muirhead, 44, an assistant divisional manager with the Scottish Ambulance Service, told the inquiry at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court: ''The information provided suggested it was slightly more than a cut finger and that it warranted an emergency response.''

Pressed by depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf to say whether an ambulance would be sent to a patient with a split and bleeding nail, Mr Muirhead confirmed that it would.

He also confirmed the ambulance's blue lights would be flashing and the sirens sounding.

However, under cross-examination by Mr Nigel Cook, the lawyer representing the families of the deceased, Mr Muirhead conceded the ambulance service did draw the line at totally absurd requests.

Mr Mullen, 69, of Park Road, Kirkcaldy, and his sister-in-law, Mrs Jack, of Morgan Grove, also Kirkcaldy, died shortly after their car was involved in a collision with the ambulance at one of the town's busiest junctions, Dunnikier Way and Hendry Road, on Hogmanay. The traffic lights had been out of order for a week at the time of the crash.

The families of the deceased are demanding to know why temporary lights were not in place and why the ambulance was rushing to a call for a cut finger.

The inquiry heard that 90% of all emergency calls within the Kirkcaldy area have a target of reaching the patient within 18 minutes and that 50% are to reach the destination within eight minutes.

However, the driver of the ambulance said he did not know the target times. Presented with an ambulance service report on 999 call target times, Mr Peter Drummond, 34, an ambulance driver for almost 10 years, said: ''I have no idea what it is.''

Ambulance technician Stella McGee, 32, who was in the ambulance with Mr Drummond at the time of the crash, also denied knowing the target times.

Mr Muirhead insisted all ambulance service personnel would be aware of the national target times.

Aberdeen university lecturer Dr. Hugh Barron, 56, who assists Scottish police forces in reconstructing accidents, told the inquiry he estimated the ambulance's speed prior to the impact to be about 35mph.

Fife Police traffic officer Geoffrey Balshaw said the traffic lights were out and there were warning signs on all approaches to the junction. He took the view that drivers ''approaching from any direction would have to show caution''.

The inquiry, before Sheriff Francis Keane, continues.