Firefighters forced to wear gas masks asthey rescued a 25-stone man who had not washed for five years and was stuckinside filthy apartment knee-deep in pizza boxes

Firemen in Germany were forced to don gasmasks to rescue a bedridden obese man who had not washed in five years.

Neighbours of the 25-stone man thought their apartment block in the town of Nurtigen near Stuttgart, had been targeted in a chemical attack when firemen turned up wearing bio-hazard suits and respirators.

But it was because of conditions inside the65-year-old's apartment - described as'absolute hell' by one firefighter -which forced them into such drastic precautions.

'It was knee deep in rubbish, from rotting pizza boxes to old food andtins....and vermin rustling about,' the firefighter added. 'The smell was indescribable.'

The morbidly obese man was was found amid a pile of the refuse with serious difficulty breathing. A neighbour called police after hearing rhythmic tapping on her ceiling - his SOS for help.

Firefighters were later seen hosing off the equipment used to hoist the obeseand foul-smelling man from the apartment block and disinfecting their protective clothing.

He told rescuers that he had been unable to wash and dress himself for the past five years and lived on take-out food that was delivered to his apartment.