A 41-year-old man had to be freed from railings after becoming impaled near student accommodation block in Oxford. 

Fire crews were called to the scene in St Clement's Street shortly before midnight on Monday. 

When firefighters arrived they found the man, who had been drinking and socialising with friends in Angel and Greyhound Meadow, had tried to leave the meadow by climbing over a locked park gate protecting by wrought iron spiked railings.

But when he reached the top the man lost his footing and fell onto one of the spikes, one of which penetrated him in the buttocks. 

Working with South Central Ambulance Service and taking medical advice from a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service’s (HEMS) doctor, firefighters from Rewley Rd and Kidlington Fire Stations used hydraulic cutting equipment to cut the railings.

The man was then lowered to the ground for medical intervention to take place.

On closer examination by the doctor and paramedics, it was found that the man had been extremely lucky as the spike had missed all major blood vessels and organs.

Station manager Brian Butler who attended the incident said: “Our crews, working alongside our colleagues from South Central Ambulance Service and the HEMS doctor, worked extremely fast and effectively to resolve what was a complex incident which avoided further trauma and injury to the gentleman involved”.