GERMANY

A German man threw himself out of a third storey window along with a Christmas tree during a late-night attempt to dispose of his festive decorations.

The man fell 7 metres (22 feet) from his flat after he lost his balance throwing the tree onto the street on Saturday, police in the western city of Moenchengladbach said. The tree did not break the victim's fall.

"There's a TV advert showing people having fun throwing their old Christmas trees out the window," said police spokesman Willy Thevessen on Monday. "But you're not supposed to jump with them."

The man was taken to hospital in critical condition with severe head injuries after eyewitnesses saw him fall.