Firefighters rescue builders stuck in lift at 22nd floor of Guy’s Tower

"When we arrived, the contractors inside the lift were singing to try and take their minds off being stuck," said station manager Laurie Kenny from the London Fire Brigade.

"A couple of them were quite nervous but firefighters did a great job at calming them down; it must've been pretty hair-raising for them being stuck so high up.

"Fortunately, the London Fire Brigade has some of the most highly skilled rescue teams in the country. We've also got some of the most specialised rescue equipment available and our crews quickly got to work to save the builders.

"They fitted harnesses to the men and using ropes, managed to get them from the lift into the building at the 21st floor level.

"I'd like to praise the work of all of the firefighters involved. These incidents are few and far between but they did a fantastic job last night."

The builders' lift was stuck about half way up the building and the gap between the lift and the side of the building was around 15 feet.

The brigade was called just before 7.30pm and firefighters rescued the men shortly before 11pm. One fire engine from Southwark fire station and two fire rescue units – one from Euston and one from Clerkenwell – were at the scene. Around 15 firefighters took part in the operation.

Work is currently under way on a major project to clean Guy's Hospital tower, fit new windows and install energy-efficient cladding on part of the structure.