A worker is recovering in hospital after a horrific accident left his arm trapped between two metal rollers.

John Neale, of Maldon, was cleaning a machine at a business in Mundon when his arm became trapped up to the elbow in a 28mm gap between two solid rollers.

Mr Neale, 44, was working on a plastic extrusion machine which makes thin sheets of plastic. Fire crews were called to Synprodo Plantpak in Burnham Road on Friday morning after Mr Neale, a maintenance engineer, became trapped.

He was caught for around half-an-hour before he was airlifted to Broomfield Hospital by the Essex Air Ambulance.

Although suffering serious injuries to his right arm and hand, it is believed that no bones were broken.

A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "We are investigating the incident, but it may take some time to complete the investigation."

Published Tuesday, April 9, 2002