A MAN fell to his death after climbing on to his roof to fix a leak.

Michael Rogers, 62, suffered fatal head injuries in the accident in Sawley Drive, Great Harwood.

The roof of the semi-detached house was undergoing repairs and according to Mr Rogers family the blustery wet weather had caused problems over the weekend.

Mr Rogers voluntered to climb up a ladder on Sunday afternoon after water started to leak into an upstairs bedroom.

But when he climbed 30 feet tp to the roof he either slipped or fell from the ladder.

Yesterday his sister-in-law Jennifer Keenan, paid tribute to Mr Rogers, who had only just retired from his most recent job as caretaker of St Mary’s Parish Hall, Clitheroe.

Mrs Keenan said: “He was a lovely guy and would do anything for anybody. My father died this year and he has been a great help for my mother.

“He was always doing odd jobs, always willing to help out. That was why he was up the ladder on Sunday. He decided to go up and have a look and wanted to put it right.

“The next thing was that his wife saw the ladders falling. He was just trying to help out.

“We’ve had so many phone calls, he was a very well known man and the sort of man who if you knew, you liked.”

Mr Rogers leaves behind his wife Susan Rogers and two stepchildren, as well as two children from his first marriage, who have been notified of his death.

He worked for many years for Whitbreads brewery and as a youngster attended Intack Primary School and Shadsworth High School.

Mrs Keenan said: “My sister is devastated and didn’t sleep at all on Sunday night. It’s just so surreal and hard to take in.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got the phone call, I was only talking to him last week and I can’t believe he’s not just going to walk in the room.”

Detective Insp Steve Dowson said: “We were called to a death outdoors. There are no suspicious circumstances.

“Our thoughts are with the family after what appears to be a tragic accident.”

A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service confirmed they attended the incident at 3.11pm and said the man died as a result of ‘severe head injuries’.

Yesterday workmen from DS Roofing were continuing to work on the roof.

Jo Stagg, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "This sounds like a very sad case and our thoughts go out to this man's family.

"When people are dealing with this type of work, it is important to think about getting the right kind of tools and equipment for the job and to consider the conditions.

"If in doubt, we would always recommend getting a professional.”

Many parts of Britain, including Lancashire, were hit by extreme weather at the weekend as heavy winds and strong rain swept the country.

The Met Office had issued extreme weather warnings, predicting that winds could reach 70mph in some parts.