A MAN has been rescued by firefighters after getting his leg stuck in molten Tarmac.

Heat from the sun softened the road and the 24-year-old man became trapped after he lost his footing.

He managed to summon a crew from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service earlier on Thursday.

A spokesman for the service said: "We were called today to a back lane in Heaton, where a 24-year-old man 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.

"During the good weather please be mindful things like this can happen and be more aware when you’re walking around."