FIREFIGHTERS had to rescue a bell-ringer from the top of a church bell tower in Soham on Wednesday night.

Rescue crews and firefighters from Cambridge were called shortly before 10pm to St Andrew’s Church following reports that a 36-year-old woman had broken her ankle and was stuck 65ft above ground in the church tower.

Jon Smith, crew commander at Cambridge red watch, said: “The casualty was in the bell tower in the ringing chamber, below the bell chamber, and approximately 65ft above ground level. The access is via a steep spiral stone staircase with no handrail that the female casualty, who by now had a splinted leg, was unable to negotiate.

“Crews removed one of the trap doors in the floor of the ringing chamber that the bells are hauled up through and set up a tripod with a winch and associated safety lines. “The casualty was then securely harnessed, attached to a firefighter, and lowered through the trap door 65 feet to the base of the tower where she was handed over to ambulance crews.

“This was a relatively straight forward incident but the specialist equipment and skills of the firefighters meant the woman was rescued within 45 minutes of our arrival on scene.”

The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance and firefighters left the scene shorty after midnight.