FELIXSTOWE: Firefighters are always on hand to rescue the proverbial cat stuck up a tree – but what about a man stuck on a roof?

That was the situation facing a crew from Felixstowe fire station, after a couple became trapped in their bedroom with no means of escape except for climbing out on to a small flat roof.

Dick and June Elson found themselves stuck in the bedroom of their house in Colneis Road at 7.15am on Sunday when the door fixing broke apart, leaving them trapped with no way of getting the door open.

Mrs Elson, 60, said: “Dick got up and went to the loo then came back in and shut the door of the bedroom just fine, but then I went to get out of the bedroom and the door wouldn’t open.

“We didn’t have a phone in the bedroom or a mobile, and there were no tools other than a pair of scissors that we could use to get out.”

With the aid of a rocking chair, 59-year-old Dick climbed out of the window onto a small flat roof at the rear of the house to call for help.

But as it was a quiet Sunday morning with few people passing by, it took him more than 45 minutes to attract a neighbour’s attention, who then called the emergency services to rescue the beleaguered duo.

Firefighters were on the scene by 8.15am and reached the pair by climbing up a ladder on to the roof then forcing open the bedroom door.

Mrs Elson added: “It was all a bit surreal at the time, but we’ve been in hysterics thinking of it ever since. We’re a bit embarrassed but it could have been a lot worse.

“And we’re very grateful for the firefighters’ quick response and the way they handled things.”

Despite the rocky start to their Sunday morning, the couple are now happy to laugh about the incident, and made a point of replacing the door catch as quickly as possible.

Mr Elson said: “I’m actually more amused than embarrassed. I felt a bit bad about getting a whole fire unit up here but they just said it was all in a day’s work.

“We’re very impressed by how little damage they did to the door, and they didn’t make me feel guilty or embarrassed for calling them out.”

The pair gave a donation to the firefighters’ benevolent fund as a token of their gratitude for the crew’s quick response.

n Does the Elson’s story relate to any mishaps you have encountered? Write to Your Letters, The Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstar letters@eveningstar.co.uk