A teenage boy who was trapped between two buildings in Newton Aycliffe became stuck after he fell through a shop roof.
The 13-year-old had been playing football in one of the car parks near the Thames shopping centre before the incident on St Cuthbert's Way at just after 5pm on Monday.
Emergency services had to carry out a complex rescue operation to free the teen, which included the partial demolition of one of the walls.
A spokesperson from Durham Constabulary said: "We were called at around 5.10pm last night after a 13-year-old boy had fallen through a shop roof and had become trapped between two buildings.
"The boy had been playing football in one of the car parks when the incident happened on St Cuthbert’s Way, in Newton Aycliffe.
"Firefighters and paramedics also attended and the boy was taken to hospital following a successful rescue operation."
Fire crews from Darlington, Spennymoor, Durham and Bishop Auckland all attended the scene, alongside specialist 'working at height' crews from Newton Aycliffe and Seaham and the Special Rescue Unit from Bishop Auckland.
Incident commander Rob Cherrie said: “Firefighters used a range of equipment to cut through an external wall to free the boy, while reassuring him and trying to keep him calm during this distressing incident.
“The teenager has now been transported to hospital by the ambulance service.
“This was an extremely difficult rescue and I would like to commend the emergency services at the scene who worked very quickly and tirelessly to rescue the teenager from the cavity.”
A spokesman for North East Ambulance Service confirmed that the teen was taken to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesborough.
