Man injured in Nelson hotel cherry-picker drama

He was in the cage, controlling the machine, at the time, and was initially reported to be trapped. Fire, police and ambulance crews went to the old Spring Bank Hotel in Manchester Road to his aid. It is currently being restored.

When they got there on Tuesday morning they found he was not trapped but was injured. Manchester Road was closed while the operation went ahead, and firefighters from Nelson assisted ambulance staff in getting the injured man away from the fallen machine.

He was protected with a back support board and placed on a stretcher. He was then taken to an ambulance, and moved up the the North West Air Ambulance, which had landed on the sports fields of St John Southworth RC School in Lomeshaye Road. Firefighters again helped get him into the air ambulance.

The man, believed to be in his mid-30s and from the Midlands, was then flown to hospital. He is believed to have a broken shoulder, arm injuries and possible back injuries but was not considered to be in a life-risk condition.