A MAN has suffered serious lower limb injuries after falling from a four-storey building.

Ambulance crews and police rushed to Hawkins Road, in Colchester, after a man fell from the top floor of a building site.

A resident who lives nearby saw part of the drama and praised staff at Shaikly Motor Company, who were quick to help air ambulance staff get to the man.

Their route had been blocked off by a gate around the site.

The woman said: “We looked out and saw an ambulance and about three other emergency vehicles.

“There is a little bit of grass near the site where the air ambulance landed, but they couldn’t get the bolts off the gate surrounding the site.

“Staff at Shaikly Motors came out with angle grinders and cut the fence. It was absolutely incredible to see them pull together like that.”

She saw a man being treated in a land ambulance for about 25 minutes before being transferred to the air ambulance.

It is believed staff at other companies in the area also went to assist the emergency services.

The building site was closed off while the paramedics worked.

The resident added: “It sounds like the whole operation took a fair while. He must have been in quite a bad condition.

“The air ambulance was outside my house for over an hour.

“The most incredible thing was how quick the motor company worked.

“They were amazing, it was quite a community effort.”

It is not known who is working on the site but it is believed the building is being converted into flats.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said the man was in a serious condition.

He said: “An ambulance, three Hazardous Area Response Team vehicles and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were called to a building site following reports of a man injured in a fall.

“The patient was transported by air ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital with serious lower limb injuries.”

Essex Police attended the scene, but only to assist emergency service colleagues.

The incident happened on Friday just after 1.30pm.

Residents had reported seeing the man fall from the top of the building to the bottom.

The Health and Safety Executive has launched an investigation.