A DRAMATIC rescue operation was carried out in Bournemouth town centre after a construction worker was injured on a building site this morning.

Emergency services were scrambled to the site of Bournemouth University’s new International College on Holdenhurst Road just after 9am following reports a man had been injured while working on the top floor of the building.

Firefighters used an aerial platform to reach the casualty, who is believed to have fallen while working on scaffolding.

Steve Underhill, station manager at Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We used the aerial platform ladder to reach the casualty on the top floor - about 22m high.

“He was put on a stretcher and was brought down on the platform.”

A spokesman from the South Western Ambulance said the worker suffered injuries to his leg and is thought to have dislocated his knee. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The spokesman said: “The casualty was on the sixth floor of the building and was working on scaffolding at the time he was injured. Paramedics treated him at the scene and he was taken to Poole Hospital for further treatment.”

Workers on the site, which is being managed by Watkin Jones Construction, were evacuated following the incident.

One worker, who asked to be named, said: “I wasn’t on that floor so didn’t see what happened. The managers came and told everyone to leave the site. That was the first we heard of it.”

Holdenhurst Road was closed for around one hour while the casualty was rescued from the site.

Business student Lorna Scott said she was shocked to come across the rescue operation.

The 17-year-old said: “We were walking down to the bus stop and saw all the fire engines and ambulances. We saw the road was closed but we didn’t know what was going on.”

Her friend Jade Taylor, who is studying performing arts at Poole College, added: “We saw them bringing a man down from the top of the building a wondered what was going on. We hope it wasn’t too serious.”