NEIGHBOURS rushed to the aid of a man impaled on metal railings after he fell off a balcony.

After hearing a crash and yelling, next door neighbours found Tom Ross had fallen from the first floor balcony of his rented flat in Waterloo Street, Hove.

Part of the balcony gave way, police said, before the 28-year-old landed thigh-first on the metal, diamond-shaped spokes of the railings below.

People brought blankets and made every effort to help him stay as comfortable as possible until the emergency services arrived.

Three crews of firefighters from Hove and Preston Circus were called to help paramedics lift Mr Ross from the railings at around 9.20pm on Wednesday.

Two ambulance crews spent an hour at the scene helping Mr Ross to safety and treating his severe bleeding before he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

He remained concious and continued to make jokes throughout his rescue, neighbours said.

Mr Ross suffered serious but not life threatening leg injuries and remained in hospital yesterday after surgery.

His girlfriend Keeley Smith left a note at the scene of the accident thanking everyone for helping Mr Ross.

She urged anyone who helped in "any way" to get in touch as she is sure Mr Ross would like to thank them personally.

A waitress at Waterloo Street restaurant Pronto In Tavola, saw Mr Ross fall and rushed over to help.

Police closed the road and reported the incident to Brighton and Hove City Council and the Health And Safety Executive.

A police spokesman added: "The road was closed for a time while the incident was dealt with and we would like to thank local people for their patience."

A council spokeswoman said: "The council was informed on Thursday that a man fell from a first floor balcony to a property in Waterloo Street, Hove, on Wednesday. Our building control team was informed of the incident and visited the property yesterday and noted a section of the balcony guarding was no longer in place. The council will be working with the property owner to ensure the reinstatement of the guarding."

It is not yet clear if the Health and Safety Executive will investigate the incident - the body usually normally only looks into work-related injuries.

Hove-based Wilkinson Residential, which manages the property, said they were unable to comment yesterday.

Anyone who helped Mr Ross at the time of the incident can call The Argus on 01273 544539 and their details will be passed to the couple.