A “PARALYTIC” man had to be pulled off a shop roof after he clambered on there in a drunken stupor.

The man, in his twenties, proved it was the season to be merry when he drunkenly managed to get on top of Clinton Cards, in Southend High Street, and started shouting to passersby in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Like something out of film The Hangover, he was found inebriated on the roof, unable to stand or speak.

Although comical, firefighters who brought him down to safety said he could have easily fallen to his death from the roof, or if he had gone unnoticed, died of hypothermia.

Thankfully a member of the public called police to come and rescue the man with officers reporting the informant said: “He seems quite drunk.”

CCTV operators homed in on the man, while officers climbed on top of Mayhem nightclub’s roof. But they couldn’t reach him and scrambled to the roof of Travelodge to get on the same level as him.

After 20 minutes they managed to reach him, but it was then too icy to bring him down. Southend firefighters were called to the scene to launch their aerial ladder platform at the roof edge and bring him down to safety by about 3am.

Al Green, station officer at Southend fire station, said: “He was so drunk I don’t think he knew where he was. I have no idea how he got up there.

“He was about 25. He couldn’t speak, he was absolutely paralytic and couldn’t stand up.

“It’s a different one. I certainly didn’t expect it. He will probably have a headache today.”

He was taken to Southend Hospital for treatment, but is understood to be fine.

Martyn Hodder, station commander at Southend fire station, said: “We have all been drunk and found ourselves in positions we would rather not be in, but on this occasion the individual has found himself in quite a difficult situation.

“He was by the edge of the roof. He was drunk, there was no lighting, he could easily have fallen.

“We have had revellers fallen off pavements and into basements. Last year a man was at a pub near Prittlewell Square and went out onto a porch for a cigarette, leant on the wall and missed so he fell straight over the porch to the basement.

“We discourage revellers from this kind of act because it does take up vital life-saving appliances. The seriousness of it is that appliance could be needed to save people from a burning building.”

Chief Insp Simon Anslow, district commander for Southend, added: “There was concern for safety in this alcohol- related incident. He was treated by the ambulance crews as he was very cold. He was conveyed to Southend Hospital, but there was no major concern.”