Westcliff: 'Mary Poppins' boy stuck in chimney

Inspired by Mary Poppins, Jonathan Grosvenor, nine, climbed onto the roof of his Westcliff home and clambered down the chimney pot.

He slipped down the stack and was eventually pulled out by firefighters through a hole in the dining room of the house next door.

Although badly bruised and shocked by the fall, which happened on Saturday, Jonathan was due back in the classroom of Kingsdown Primary School in Thundersley today.

His shaken mum, Rebecca, said: "Jonathan was left alone for about ten minutes while his dad and brothers were in the garden. They came back in and could not see him, but could hear him calling to them.

"They eventually guessed he must be behind the wall so called the fire brigade."

Firefighters made inspection holes in three of the rooms in the Galton Road house before working out Jonathan was actually in the chimney stack of the house next door.

As the owners were on holiday, they had to call in the police to break in, and found a specialist to deactivate the alarm.

Jonathan was pulled to safety through a hole made in the dining room wall.

Mum-of-five Mrs Grosvenor said: "Jonathan must have climbed out of the loft room window, onto the roof and lowered himself into the chimney.

"He has Down's syndrome and no sense of fear and probably did not realise how high up he was. He has told me he has seen Mary Poppins do this, and obviously wanted to give it a go."

Leading firefighter Steve Woodward said: "We had to use axes to knock holes in the walls, but did not want to scare Jonathan so used our hands to make the holes big enough to see where he was. We thought he may have broken his leg or arm, but luckily he was OK

"It was an unusual call-out, but a good team effort."

Rescue - firefighters try to reach Jonathan

Safe and sound - mum Rebecca gives Jonathan a big hug as he is pulled out of the chimney stack

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