The bellringgaarggh! Boy hits the roof after run-in with faulty bell rope

It wasn't something the 14-year-old was looking for during a routine bellringing practice at church.

But when a stay that stops the bells swinging too far snapped, James's rope shot upwards - and he went with it.

The schoolboy only stopped when he hit the ceiling - 15ft up - that separates the ringers from the eight bells. He fell to the ground.

James's mother Hillary, was at the 162-year-old church in Loughton, Essex, on Tuesday evening when the accident happened.

The 50-year-old said: "It all happened so suddenly he didn't think to let go of the rope.

"It was like he was on a bungee cord. I didn't even see him go up it was so quick. He hit the ceiling and came back down and I saw him hit the floor.

"Normally if a stay broke it would lift you off the ground a little bit. But because he's so skinny and light he just went flying up.

"I've never seen this happen before. It was nobody's fault it was just a freak accident.

James has been ringing bells for five years and practises once a week. He rings for weddings and special occasions and regularly takes part in inter-church competitions.

The schoolboy said: "I went up so fast I didn't realise until my hand hit the ceiling, that's when I let go.

"I just fell down, I wasn't scared until I started falling. I landed on the floor really hard and didn't really know what had happened.

"I've seen people been lifted up a little bit but not like that before."

As he landed, he hit his hip and left foot. Paramedics were called, but could could not fit their stretcher up the winding staircase leading to the bell tower.

It took two crews from Essex Fire Service to carry him down the 39 steps at St John the Baptist Church, strapped to a mountain rescue board.

James, who hopes to take part in bell ringing celebrations for the 2012 Olympics, was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital, East London.

Mrs Kemp called her husband Alan, a lorry driver, who followed the ambulance.

She said: "At hospital they checked him over and gave him an X-ray but said nothing was broken.

"The doctor said he must have bounced. He has got to stay in bed for the rest of the week and he was a bit annoyed because he was meant to be ringing at a wedding on Saturday.

"But it hasn't put him off. All hobbies can be a bit dangerous - even bell ringing I suppose."