A HOMELESS man sleeping rough in a large water pipe was rescued when he became too cold to move.

Firefighters and ambulance crews were called to the 44-year-old man when he was found in the culvert behind the Princess Royal Hospital, underneath the A272 Lewes Road in Haywards Heath.

The casualty was believed to have been living rough in the structure, which carries water underneath roads and other obstructions, when he fell ill.

A West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said they were called shortly before 10pm on Wednesday.

He said: “Two fire crews from Haywards Heath were at the scene within minutes of the 999 call being received.

“Working alongside South East Coast Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team in dark and slippery conditions, firefighters used a rope and ladder system and a stretcher to rescue the man and bring him up the steep-sided bank to safety.

“He was conscious and breathing and was treated at the scene by paramedics and subsequently taken to hospital.”

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We attended this incident with one ambulance crew and our Hazardous Area Response Team, which has paramedics with additional training to deal with incidents in a hazardous environment. Our crews worked with firefighters to rescue the man.

“He was assessed and treated at the scene before being taken to Princess Royal Hospital. He was reported as suffering from back and leg pain and from the effects of the cold.”