Man found stuck in chimney

A man found stuck in a chimney claimed he could not remember how he got there.

Police in Burlington, Vermont, in the US received a report of a man crying for help and went to investigate.

They followed the sound until they found footprints in the snow on the roof of a building.

The footprints led to a chimney where officers found a man stuck inside, local media reported.

The man did not live in the building. He was conscious and told police he had been stuck for several hours.

The man told police he had no idea how he got there.

Firefighters had to dismantle the chimney to free him.

Witnesses said the man was covered in soot when they finally pulled him free.

"They smashed it and then took a ladder up the side and had to break in through the side of the building," said Michael Woodhouse, a witness.

"The whole time, they were screaming to get the furnace turned off."

He added: "He said he'd been drinking with his brother and didn't know how he got on to the roof."

The man has not been charged with a crime.