A worker crushed by a two-tonne machine had a "miracle escape" - suffering just three cracked ribs.

The man, who has not been named, became trapped under a plastic moulding machine, which he was delivering to the Data Plastics plant in Witney yesterday.

Employees at the Station Lane factory watched in horror as the £40,000 machine slipped from a crane, trapping the man from the waist down. Staff called firefighters and paramedics.

Fire crews from Witney and Kidlington rescued him after raising the machine with a jack.

The man, who works for RJC Engineering of Weston, Northamptonshire, was taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he was in a comfortable condition.

The company's managing director, Joe Reeve, said: "The man was part of a very experienced crew, which was installing the machine. As they were manoeuvring it into place, it slipped off its rollers and the man was trapped.

"We thought he was a goner. Incredibly he escaped with just three cracked ribs. It was a miracle escape. He is an extraordinarily lucky man."

He added: "It was a scary thing to happen, but everyone was enormously relieved that he was alright. We run a nice, tight ship and had never had an industrial injury. Ironically, the first person to have an accident was from somewhere else."