ACHING Jordan Charlesworth got into a spin when he became stuck in a tumble dryer at home in Torquay — all 5ft 2ins of him.

The lanky mischief-maker's secret place during a game of hide-and-seek was literally a tight call as firefighters spent nearly half-an-hour rescuing the trapped youngster on Thursday evening.

A relieved Jordan, 12, said afterwards: "I won't be hiding there again. I'll stick to wardrobes and other large spaces in future."

Jordan, a pupil at Westlands School, was playing with his brother, sister and friends at the family home in Sherwell Valley South when he thought he would chance his arm — and the rest of his lengthy frame — in the narrow confines of the domestic appliance.

He climbed in feet first and was all but in when his brother leant a helping hand and squeezed his head in as well.

Once in, he quickly realised he'd made a big mistake.

Not only was the accommodation decidedly cramped, but it was also a bit on the hot side after just completing a cycle.

Jordan observed: "The last time I looked inside the machine I was nine, and it was quite large then. It's got smaller as I've got older."

Anxious mum Natalie tried her best to extricate her contorted son, whose own frantic efforts had succeeded in releasing a leg and nothing more.

She said: "I woke up yesterday and thought: 'Did all that really happen?' It was just a bit surreal. Even now it's difficult for me to believe.

"Jordan told me he chose the tumble dryer to hide in because it was somewhere nobody would look. It happened in a matter of seconds. He was completely folded up in the tumble dryer. He started to panic. I started to panic. Everyone started to panic. Then one of the children suggested ringing the fire brigade. They were just brilliant, as were the paramedics who also attended."

She added: "His head was into his chest and it was difficult for him to breathe. My fear was the machine would start up. I could not find the switch to turn it off. Jordan complained his leg was hurting.

"When he was out he said to me: 'How did I get in there mum?' I said I had no idea — but he managed it somehow.

"He was shaken up afterwards. His leg went dead, so the ambulancemen walked him up and downstairs a few times to get his circulation going. The whole incident was a bit scary. It was not pleasant at all."

Jordan added: "It might be all right for someone 4ft tall to get in, but not when you're 5ft 2ins. I know that now.

"I've got a bit of bruising to my neck and leg. I'm a bit sore, but I will survive."

Firefighters were thinking of cutting open the tumble dryer before they found the rear plate of the drum was bolted on.

Crew commander Sean Burnell said: "We were able to unbolt it. He went in the front and came out the back.

"We were very lucky to remove him so quickly. In the end it took just over 20 minutes. It's not something we do every day.

"None of the crew have ever seen anything like it before. It was quite amazing to see. I suppose the boy is very lucky as it could have been so much worse for him.

"There is no doubt he was very relieved to get out."