A Harold Hill man who survived a 25ft drop from his flat balcony said he was lucky to escape without injury.

Craig Thorne, 27, of Kingsbridge Circus, fell from his flat two storeys high on Sunday morning while fixing his satellite.

But he managed to escape serious injury.

Instead Mr Thorne was left grazed and strained the ligaments in his ankle.

An air ambulance and road ambulance were called to the flat in Runcorn House and he was sent to Queen’s Hospital, in Rom Valley Way, Romford.

Mr Thorne said: “I was trying to fix the satellite cable when it happened. I was straddling the balcony but I lost my footing and fell backwards. I fell head first, but I landed on my right side.

“My neighbour on the ground floor saw me and called the ambulance. They checked me over and put a neck brace on me and put me on a stretcher.

“I dread to think what could have happened. I keep looking over the balcony and thinking how did I survive that?”

He added: “The paramedics told me I was lucky to have gotten away without any injuries because it was a dangerous fall. I was in shock yesterday and kept being sick and shaking.

“My friends have since been calling me to check I am still alive.

“I am just thankful it wasn’t worse than it was and I only landed on the grass. I could easily have landed on the concrete.”

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service (LAS) said: “We were called at 9.39am to reports to a fall from height in Kingsbridge Circus. We sent one ambulance crew, a single responder in a car, and the air ambulance doctor to the scene.

“Our staff treated one patient and took him as a priority in a road ambulance to Queen’s Hospital with leg and pelvic injuries.”