An Oxford University student is being treated in hospital after falling from the roof of his college.

Paramedics were called to Wadham College, off Parks Road, at 1.55am this morning (November 9), after the male first-year student fell to the ground.

Earlier today, the college issued a statement, which said: "A first-year male undergraduate was injured following an incident on Wednesday morning.

"He is being treated in the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he is under observation. The college will be looking at the circumstances of this incident."

Police officers were also called to the college to investigate, but are treating the incident as an accident. Kate Smith, a spokesman for Oxford police, said: "We were called at 1.59am to ensure there were no suspicious circumstances, and the incident is not being his treated as suspicious. "We believe the student fell as the result of an accident, and he is not thought to have fallen from a great height.

"He was conscious afterwards, but there are no further details about his injuries.

"His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening."

The student has not been identified, and a spokesman for the university said more information would not be released until the student himself and his parents had been consulted.

Wadham Students who spoke to the Oxford Mail at the porter's lodge this morning said they had not been informed about the incident.

Kate Mieske, welfare officer for Wadham College Students' Union, said: "I'm afraid I haven't heard anything about this. I hope the student gets well soon." In March 2000, a student at Balliol College fell 40ft to his death as the result of an accident.

James Ferrada, 20, from Surrey, fell to his death from a bedroom window at Balliol College in Broad Street.

Mr Ferrada's mother described her son's death as "just one of those tragic accidents".

In February 2000, Oxford University student Kai Dawson, 21, died after falling from a crane in Rectory Road, more than 80ft from the ground.

The engineering student at St Edmund Hall was found later in the back garden of a house in east Oxford after he lost his balance and plunged to his death, an inquest later heard.