A man has taken stupidity to new heights by becoming stuck at the top of a lamp post.

He somehow scaled the 10-metre lamp post in Birmingham in the UK and was stuck at the top for about an hour, the BBC reports.

In video taken of the man, he can be seen balancing on his chest at the top of the pole with his legs dangling on either side.

It prompted a huge rescue operation with fire crews, police and ambulance working together to rescue the man.

Firefighters used an extendable ladder to bring him down on Saturday night (local time) but crews still have no idea how he got up there in the first place.

In a tweet, the fire service stated the man had taken an "illegal high" and the incident could have "ended very differently".

The man was taken to hospital and treated for a head injury.