Tree boy, 11, rescued by crew

An 11-year-old boy had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck up a tree in a village near Shrewsbury.

Chris Tooke, from Lower Cross, Cross Houses, climbed up the 30ft tree with his brother Alex, 10, at 5.30pm yesterday. But he discovered he was stuck and unable to climb back down.

Chris said: "I thought I could get across and get down because I was tall enough to reach the branch. There's an easy way to get down but I couldn't reach it so I was stuck.

"I was stuck up there for an hour. I was so glad when the fire engine arrived."

Firefighters from Shrewsbury set up a ladder against the tree so that Chris could climb down.

The boys' mother, Sharlie Tooke, said they were always playing in the wood at the end of their lane. She also praised the efforts of the firefighters who were on the scene in five minutes.