THE emergency services rescued a man who was stuck on the roof of a home after falling from a ladder.

Police closed High Road in Benfleet after being called at about 9.40am and three fire crews worked to rescue the man, who was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg. 

They had rescued him in about an hour. 

Sub Officer Tony Vickress from Rayleigh Weir Fire Station said: "The 71 year man had pitched a ladder onto a flat roof on the first floor of his house to investigate water leaking, once the man had got onto the first floor he then pitched the ladder up to the second floor flat roof of the property.

"As the man was going up the ladder onto the second floor he then fell approximately eight foot and landed on the first floor roof.

"When the fire crews arrived they used a ladder to get onto the first floor to reach the man, who was injured, firefighters administered oxygen therapy to him and worked with the Ambulance Service HART team.

"It was a tricky rescue operation as there were live power cables close by.

"The crews then placed the man on a stretcher and he was brought to safety using the aerial ladder platform."