A man suffered a suspected broken leg after falling 30ft into the moat of an old fort.

Eastbourne firefighters were called to the Redoubt Fortress, Royal Parade, to rescue the man who had toppled into the grassy moat but had no idea how he got there or how long he had been there.

Assistant divisional officer Keith Ring said: "Nobody has a clue how he ended up in there. He could have been there for a few hours or even over night. We can't tell if he was trying to climb the fortress or slipped down the bank."

Two ladders were put down the moat and the man was hauled on to a platform which was winched up by firefighters.

Mr Ring said: "We could not get any information out of him but it didn't look like his injuries were that bad."

Twelve firefighters attended the moat at 8.20am today and paramedics were on hand to assess the man's injuries. He was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital for treatment to his leg.

The fortress contains a museum of war exhibits and a shop.

The discovery of the man follows a similar incident in August when a pensioner died after falling into the drained grass moat at the 200-year-old fortress.

The 65-year-old man was believed to have climbed over railings before he slipped. He was taken to the DGH where he later died from his injuries.