Washing-up liquid frees stuck boy

It is believed the drain cover had been stolen

Firefighters used washing-up liquid to rescue a five-year-old boy stuck chest-deep down a drain in Sunderland.

The youngster fell through the open cover near his home in Northcote Avenue, Hendon, on Wednesday evening.

Police and neighbours tried for half-an-hour to free the boy and called out fire crews after finding he was stuck too tight.

The boy, who suffered bruising, was reunited with his family after being eased free using the lubricant.

Colin Bowman, from the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "His feet and legs were bent up behind him so attempts to pull him out were making the situation worse.

"We got some washing-up liquid from a local resident, lubricated the pipe and the young lad's leg, and he literally came up like a cork out of a bottle."

It is believed the drain cover had been stolen.