A MAN was winched to safety after he fell down a cliff in Folkestone on Wednesday.

Firefighters rescued him using equipment earmarked to be taken away from the town.

The 60-year-old had fallen down the steep drop next to the Road of Remembrance, above Marine Crescent, and was suffering from hypothermia by the time his cries were heard by a passer-by soon after 7am.

Wednesday was a dark morning and had his shouts not been heard he would not have been seen until much later.

An ambulance service fast response vehicle was scrambled but could not reach the man, as he was trapped high up in the bushes and trees that line the slope.

Folkestone fire brigade were called at 7.55am and took two pumps and their turntable ladder.

Under plans put forward by Kent Fire and Rescue, the ladder and one pump are to be cut from Folkestone later in the year.

It is part of savings needed after the Government demanded a cut in budget, but it is still out for consultation and firefighters hope the proposals can be changed.

A Folkestone firefighter said: "It is worth noting that the turntable ladder was used in the rescue and as the man was suffering from hypothermia time was of the essence.

"He had been there quite a while and if we had had to bring the ladder from another station, even if it was Ashford, it would have added another 30 to 40 minutes to the rescue."

Fire crews at the station say it is the 12th time the ladder has been used to rescue someone in three years.

One pump and the ladder were stationed halfway up the Road of Remembrance while the other pump was at the foot of the slope. When firefighters reached the man he was wrapped up warm, strapped to a stretcher, and hoisted into the air.

The height vehicle’s platform was used as a pivot for the pulley, lifting the stretcher high above the streets below, moving him slowly across the slope and onto the road.

He was then gently lowered to safety and the waiting ambulance crew.

Apart from the cold, the man suffered grazes, cuts and bruises from his tumble down the hill.