‘Dangerous’ parkour lands lad in hot water

Firefighters had to use a 13-and-a-half metre ladder to rescue the boy from the top of a roof on Effingham Street at 3.15pm. 

Police officers from the Rotherham Central team also attended and said three boys were taken home to their parents and advised about the dangers of parkour, which combines free-running and moving from buildings or equipment at speed without assistive equipment.

The fire service said the “rare rescue” from the 25ft roof was another aspect of its work and warned others about the dangers of the sport, which originated in France.

The crew from Rotherham station left the scene at 3.40pm after walking the boy safely down the ladder.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue spokeswoman said: “Fortunately, only a small number of people would ever consider undertaking an activity as dangerous as parkour. 

“Parkour is extremely unsafe for a number of reasons, including the unknown structural stability of buildings, and those participating in the activity are putting their lives at great risk. 

“Although rare, rescues like this form another, unusual aspect of our rescue work, on top of the many fires and traffic collisions we attend each year.”