A MAN was left impaled on railings in the early hours of this morning after leaping from a flat window.

The man was suspended on the metal railings by his left thigh following the jump from the first-floor Southampton flat.

A spike 1cm in diameter went deep into his leg but did not come out the other side. It meant he was left hanging entirely from the metal pole.

Firefighters and members of the ambulance service were called at 2am by the man's partner who witnessed the accident.

The man, who is in his 20s and has not been named, had plunged 10ft from the flat in Denzil Avenue, St Mary's.

It took six firefighters from St Mary's up to 40 minutes to cut him free, while an ambulance service doctor administered painkillers.

An ambulance service spokesman said the fact that man had been drinking had helped to dull the pain.

He was taken by ambulance to Southampton General Hospital with a section of the spike still sticking out of his leg.

He was still undergoing treatment this morning.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "His partner saw him and was clearly very distressed.

''We took half an hour to 40 minutes to cut the railings off underneath his leg. It was a matter of doing it quickly to save his life.

"It was a very unusual call for us."

Richard Phillips, 33, of Denzil Ave in a neighbouring flat, said: "I was in bed and I heard a load of noise. I thought it was some kind of domestic. There was a bloke shouting.

"I came out onto my balcony. I couldn't see much and thought it was some drunk and went back to bed. Then I was aware of blue flashing lights and the ambulance and fire brigade arrived. I didn't realise someone had actually jumped."