A MAN had to be rescued by firefighters after his leg got stuck in melted tarmac caused by the sweltering weather.
The unnamed 24-year-old became trapped while walking to get breakfast in Heaton, Newcastle shortly before 11am yesterday.
The tarmac had liquefied in the heatwave and swallowed the man's left leg from the thigh downwards as he crossed the road.
He was stuck in the sinkhole for around 20 minutes before firefighters used a hammer and chisel to carefully ease out his trapped limb.
Emergency services put the man's lack of injury to his foot or ankle down to him wearing his granddad's boots.
In a statement, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called today to a back lane in Heaton, where a 24-year-old man who was on his way to buy himself breakfast stepped on some tarmac and lost his footing and went straight through the road.
"The tarmac had become so soft during the current heatwave we are having that it melted. The young man stayed calm and called 999 for help even though his left leg was thigh deep in the road.
"We arrived around three minutes later and proceeded to dig around him with a hammer and chisel to gently ease his leg out.
"Thankfully he didn’t break his ankle as he was wearing his granddad’s Dr. Martens."
Friday was the hottest day of the year in Britain so far with temperatures exceeding 30C in some areas.
The weekend looks set to be just as warm - if not warmer - as the current heatwave continues to make its sultry presence felt across the UK and Ireland.
