SHOCKED customers enjoying breakfast at a McDonald's feared the worst when they saw a window cleaner fall almost 20 feet from the roof of the restaurant onto the ground.

But the 31-year-old man had a lucky escape and was later able to get up and walk away with only minor injuries following the incident at the drive through in Heron Gate, Taunton.

A customer who saw the incident and asked not to be named said: "I was fearing the worst - he fell from quite a height.

"Someone was shouting, 'Someone call an ambulance' and a McDonald's manager kept saying, 'Don't move him'.

"The man's colleague who had been up on the roof with him was in a really distressed state."

Customers rushed out of the restaurant on seeing the man fall onto the asphalt at about 9.45am on Tuesday and staff shut the drive through area near where he landed.

"It looked like they were cleaning the McDonald's sign on the roof and I couldn't see any safety gear," said the eyewitness.

"There was an almighty kerfuffle and people were really worried for him.

"But when the ambulance arrived he stood up and walked into it, so we knew it wasn't that bad."

A South Western Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to Heron Gate at 9.43am to a 31-year-old man with back injuries.

"It turned out he had only minor injuries and was treated at the scene and did not need hospital treatment."

A McDonald's manager who would only give her name as Alison declined to comment.