February 14, 2001 9:35: DO-IT-YOURSELF man Les Terry narrowly escaped a crippling injury when he became impaled on a one inch spike after falling off a ladder in his living room.

The 52-year-old lost his footing while finishing off a spot of decorating and ended up skewered on a corner piece of an ornamental brass surround in front of his fireplace.

Brave Les, of Haw Lane, Bledlow Ridge, had to lie patiently still while firefighters and ambulance staff worked frantically to unscrew the acorn-shaped object before they could rush him to hospital.

The retired office worker said: "I was very, very fortunate. If I had landed on it nearer my spine it could have been a lot worse."

The freak accident happened just after 7.30pm last Saturday.

Les explained: "I was doing the last bit of coving, to get it finished, when I obviously lost my concentration.

"I stepped back off the ladder, stumbled and then fell onto the fire hearth and onto the spike which went into my back. It just missed my spine, fortunately, but thankfully I could feel my feet."

He added: "My wife called an ambulance and they then called the fire brigade."

After they arrived paramedics injected Les with painkillers and after discussion with firefighters decided it would be best to unscrew the spike while it was still in Les's back.

Les continued: "I had to lift myself up to make room for the screw to come out. Then I had to walk out to the ambulance and it was off to Wycombe Hospital."

Firefighter Mick Evans MBE, of Princes Risborough Fire Station, led the operation to free Les from his fireplace.

He said: "Mr Terry was the perfect patient. He was extremely calm and collected and was even making jokes when he must have been in some pain. He was saying things like 'I must be a right pain in the back'."

Hospital surgeons operated on Les to remove the ornamental spike which he has now screwed back onto his fireplace.

Les added: "The surgeon said to me 'thank you for bringing something so unusual in'."

James Cox