Newcastle Council stresses heatwave is not melting roads

The fire service blamed the hot weather for the surface melting

Council bosses have stressed roads are not melting in the heatwave after a man became stuck in asphalt.

Firefighters rescued the 24-year-old after his left leg sank "thigh deep" on a back lane in Heaton, Newcastle.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service posted on its Facebook page the road surface "had become very soft during the current heatwave and had melted".

But Newcastle City Council insists the hole was caused by a "small existing void".

"We can confirm that the tarmac had not melted and no roads in the city have melted during the warm weather," a spokesman said.

None of the roads managed by the authority require any treatment to prevent them being damaged during hot weather, it said.

The man was on his way to buy breakfast when he became trapped

Fire officers had to dig around the man with a hammer and chisel before they were able to ease out his trapped limb.

They put his lack of injury down to him wearing "his granddad's Dr Martens".