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Man rescued from drain after 'spending two days wandering Romford sewage system'

A man was rescued from a drain after claiming to have been lost wandering a network of east London sewers for days.

The “dishevelled” man reportedly spent at least two days walking through a network of drains beneath Romford.

Eventually, he was rescued after concerned locals raised the alarm having heard his desperate pleas for help.

Upon re-emerging into daylight, he immediately asked stunned bystanders if any of them had a cigarette to spare, a witness told the Standard.

Police haul the cold, injured man from the drain in Romford
Police haul the cold, injured man from the drain in Romford

Police and the London Ambulance Service confirmed they were called to the scene in Brentwood Road as the bizarre incident unfolded.

Lorraine Moss, who saw the rescue, told the Romford Recorder: “I could see a man standing in the drain, only the top half of his body was visible and he was covered in dirt.

“The man told everyone that he had been stuck for about two days.”

Ian Swann, an employee at Reeves Electrical, said he was among those who helped the man out.

"We got some crowbars and got him out from under the road. He just wanted a fag and he wouldn’t talk to anyone until they gave him one," he said.

It is believed the man entered the drains in South Street, about a mile away, and was exposed to rain water carried through the system towards the River Rom.

Medics treated the man for ankle injuries and exposure to cold water and temperatures.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We were called by the Metropolitan Police at 12:58pm on Thursday 8 February to Brentwood Road, Romford, to reports of man found in a drain.

“We sent an incident response officer and team leaders in an ambulance.

“We treated a man at the scene for ankle injuries and for exposure to cold temperatures and water. He was taken as a priority to hospital.”

A spokeswoman for the Met said: “Police were called to Brentwood Road at 12.21pm on Thursday, 8 February to reports of man trapped in a drain.

“Officers attended and freed the 48-year-old man by removing the manhole cover.

“Enquiries are underway to establish the circumstances of the male being trapped within the sewer system.

“He was taken to an east London hospital for treatment to injuries to his feet. His injuries are not life threatening.”