A 50-YEAR-OLD man was taken to hospital following an accident at the BMW Mini plant in Cowley.

Paramedics were called to the Cowley car plant at 10.47am on Thursday after they received reports a man was suffering breathing difficulties.

Police also received reports that machinery had fallen on top of a 50-year-old man.

The man was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital but his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

Spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service Ngozi Fakeye said: “He was taken to the John Radcliffe hospital conscious and breathing, but he was having breathing difficulties.”

Police spokesman Rebecca Webber said: “We were called at 10.50am to a report some machinery had fallen on top of a man. His injuries are not thought to be serious. He was concious and breathing but was having breathing difficulties.”

Ms Webber said the incident was handed over to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) at 11.40am.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “We are aware of it and we are making initial inquiries.”

A BMW spokesman said: “There was an incident involving a failure of some lifting equipment at the plant on Thursday. An associate was taken to hospital and has since returned home.

“The HSE was informed immediately. An internal investigation into the incident is ongoing and no further details are available at this stage.”