A man is in hospital after throwing himself of the balcony of his second-floor apartment in Burjassot (Valencia) just before the bailiffs arrived to evict him from his property.

Local police officers in de Burjassot have confirmed that the incident occurred around 10.30am yesterday in the Nucli Antic district of the suburb.

When the bailiffs, accompanied by the local police, arrived to evict the family and repossess their property, the man, thought to be around 50 years old, threw himself off the second-floor balcony.

His wife, who is suffering from depression, was in bed, sedated, at the time, and one of the couple's children was also in the family home.

Police sources have confirmed that the man landed on his feet but then fell and bashed his head and was found semi-conscious on the ground below.

Firefighters in the building adjacent to the block of flats in question were on the scene immediately to give first aid to the man, before transferring him to the city's La Fe hospital, where he is believed to be in a stable condition.

In Granada yesterday, the body of a 53-year-old man was found in the patio of his home.  He had hanged himself just an hour before the bailiffs came to evict him from his home, which he had taken a 240,000 euro mortgage out on in 2007.