AN elderly man had to be rescued by firefighters after getting trapped in the fence of a Thornton pub.

A fire crew from Fairweather Green station were called to the Rock and Heifer Inn on Rock Lane, Thornton at 10.50pm yesterday.

The man, who firefighters said was reported to have "complex medical needs" had lost his footing in the car park and reached out for the railings of a fence to catch his balance. However, he missed the railings and his arm went through a gap. The movement of his body then caused him to dislocate his shoulder.

The fire crew used hydraulic tools to pry open the bars and free the man. They made him comfortable and gave oxygen therapy to him until an ambulance arrived, and he was then taken to hospital.