An elderly man was left in excruciating pain after his hand became impaled on a spike in Hampton on Wednesday.

The 79-year-old tripped on the pavement outside Linden House, in Broad Lane, and fell into a sharp railing at 2.50pm yesterday, April 16.

Police, firefighters and paramedics attended and he was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting as a priority.

Crew manager Steve McGhie, from Twickenham fire station, said: "He had to go to hospital with the railing attached.

"He was stuck for about 15 minutes and the railing had gone all the way through his hand.

"We had to use a fire rescue peddle and stabilised him for pain relief.

"Something like this is quite rate but it could have been a lot worse."

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said he was treated for head and hand injuries.

Metropolitan Police confirmed the injuries were "not life-threatening or life-changing".