Man rescued from trench by Essex firefighters

Crews used hand tools to safely rescue the man from the trench

Firefighters have rescued a man after he became trapped in a trench.

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service said the man was doing building work when he fell down the 8ft (2.43m) trench near Thorndon Park Drive, Leigh.

Crews from Rayleigh Weir, Rochford, Brentwood and the Urban Search and Rescue team attended.

The teams used air bags to stabilise the ground around him, dug a relief trench to distribute the weight and were eventually able to dig him out.

The man was conscious and breathing despite being cold and uncomfortable, firefighters said.

Station Manager Rick Williams explained: "Due to the risk of movement from the ground, crews used hand tools to get to the casualty."

He thanked his emergency services teams, the firefighters and the Urban Search and Rescue team for their hard work.

The rescue operation took six hours and the man did not sustain any injuries.