FIREFIGHTERS rescued a teenage boy from the 40ft high parapet of Sittingbourne's cinema after he climbed the building via a drain-pipe. The 16-year-old boy was threatening to jump from the ledge at the New Century Cinema in the High Street during the hour-long drama.

A police spokesman said the boy, who comes from Swale and is in foster care, was upset after a domestic dispute. The high street was cordoned off until firefighters finally calmed the boy and led him to safety.

Tim Gibson, the commander at Sittingbourne fire station, said one of his firefighters climbed a ladder to talk with the teenager while other crew members went up to the roof and lowered a line to secure him.

He added: "It took a long time to get him down. The weather conditions were atrocious. The rain was just driving down horizontally and it was very difficult."

After securing the boy with the line, the fireman on the ladder guided him down slowly, getting him to move one foot and then one hand at a time.

Mr Gibson added: "He was extremely cold and bordering on hypothermia. He was just wearing a light-weight jacket and jeans with training shoes."

The boy, who is a keen rock climber, was taken to Medway hospital by ambulance staff where he was treated for hypothermia. He has since been moved to another foster home in Devon.

During the weekend incident, the cinema staff, including manager Rose Fosbraey were asked to stay inside the building. The cinema's first evening performance was cancelled and spotlights were installed so that firefighters and police could monitor the rescue.