A careless homeowner narrowly avoided serious injury after getting his head stuck in a window trying to climb back into his house after forgetting his keys.

Firefighters came to the rescue of a man who got his head stuck in a small window as he tried to climb back into his home after locking himself out.

Shoreham fire crew who rescued the 37-year-old man say that the situation could have been much more serious for the man, who was able to walk away without any injuries, if they had not got him when they did.

The alarm was raised at about 10.15pm last night by another person on behalf of the man who had got his head wedged in the window at his home in Holmbush Way in Southwick.

The man had gone out but had left his keys in another pair of trousers and decided that he would try and get back into the house through a small window.

However, he slipped off the window sill while trying to climb back in leaving him suspended by just his neck and head.

Crew manager Rod Gates said: “It was pretty serious, he had slipped off the window and so was just hanging by his head.

“If we hadn’t got him as quick as we did, he would have been unconscious.

“We could have a giggle about it later but it could have been very serious.

“We had to cut away the brackets of the window to release him and then forced entry into his home.

“How he had managed to get his head in that window, we really don’t know.

“It was a very small window with just a top opening.

“He said he had climbed back in a couple of times before but not through that window.

“Our advice would be if you are locked out, unless you have the cooking on or the washing machine running, then don’t call us but get a friend to let you in or ring a locksmiths.”