What happens if a crane driver has a heart attack or an accident in the cab while hundreds of feet in the air?

Firefighters from across Surrey joined together to practise complex crane rescues on a building site in Epsom.

Crews from Leatherhead, Epsom and Banstead have attended four training sessions throughout the year, practising line rescue techniques that could be used to rescue someone from a tower crane.

Building contractor Speller Metcalfe gave the crews access to the site, at Woocote Grove, off Chalk Lane, where the headquarters for design consultancy Atkins are currently being built.

Site manager Stephen Clark said: “Each practical scenario was a new and valuable learning experience for all involved.

“We have now been able to adapt our plans on site to accommodate what we’ve learned, ensuring the smoothest possible rescue in the event of an emergency on a crane.”

In carefully-staged scenarios, the firefighters used lines and aerial ladder platforms to practice extricating a casualty from the top of a 35-meter tower crane.

The exercises provided the fire fighters with a rare opportunity to carry out practical training on a live building site, as well as giving crane operators and other site operatives an insight into how they could best assist the emergency services in the event of a real-life crane rescue.

Crane Driver Terry Stephens and Lift Supervisor Theo Dinev were on hand during the training sessions to advise members of the fire service of specific requirements of the crane on site.