Roof rescue

Police say a 91-year-old man sparked a rescue operation when he slipped mending his roof and got stuck in tar.

Police in the eastern city of Magdeburg in Germany say passers-by were so shocked to see the elderly handyman working on the roof, they first thought he was planning to commit suicide.

"In fact, he was just re-coating the roofing with bitumen but then he slipped," a police spokesman said.

"When we got there, he was like a beetle on its back, with his arms and legs sprawled out and completely glued to the roof.

"Due to his age, he couldn't free himself from his unfortunate situation."

Local firemen carefully detached the man using ropes and ladders.

Police say he was unharmed but had sticky clothes.