THIS is the moment a man became impaled on a fence after he decided to take a shortcut on his way home.

A passer-by caught the incident on camera as fire and ambulance workers arrived to help the man in his distress.

The Bolton News reported how the victim had tried to climb a fence in Great Moor Street, near to St Patrick's RC Church in Bolton town centre yesterday morning. 

A video of the unfortunate man's plight has now emerged. 

Bolton Central Fire Station crew manager, Andy Bolton, said: "A bloke coming home from a night out tried to get over a fence and managed to impale himself via his leg on it.

"We cut a section away, just left it in his leg so they could operate."

He added he did not believe the man's condition was life threatening but it 'looked sore'.