A WARNING about climbing on flimsy roofs has been issued to schoolchildren after a boy fell through the roof of his neighbour's garage.

Firefighters said the 11-year-old was lucky to have escaped with only cuts and bruises after clambering onto the corrugated roof in Middlesbrough - and falling straight through, on Monday evening.

The fire brigade's specialist "Hazardous Area Response Team" were also deployed to the garage on Eden Road as a precaution, in case the roof contained asbestos, but tests showed it did not.

Watch manager Alan Peirson, of Middesbrough Fire Station, said the boy was lucky not to have been more seriously injured.

"You know what is in a garage and he could have landed badly on something, or even worse been impaled on something inside. He could have been trapped, injured, inside the building.

"Our message is, don't climb on roofs, don't run around on roofs. There is a big lesson to be learned here to warn children of the dangers of climbing buildings, sheds or garages."

Firefighters gave the boy first aid until the ambulance arrived and he was taken to James Cook University Hospital for a precautionary check-up. The boy had landed on his back, was in a lot of pain, and had cuts, bruises and a large friction burn on his back where he fell.