AN 82 years-old man has spoken of his miraculous escape after a 32 ton articulated lorry overturned and shed its load knocking him unconscious as he was planting shrubs in his front garden.

Retired plant manager Fred Clough was flung backwards smashing his shoulder against a concrete sundial plinth as the giant tarpaulin topped trailer loaded with rubble and a scrap car demolished a 20 feet long steel pedestrian safety barrier next to St Ambrose School at Astley, shortly before primary pupils were due to go home.

Speaking at his bungalow home in Manchester Road, Blackmoor after a night in Hope Hospital, the bruised but lucky pensioner relived his narrow escape:

"I just heard a noise and looked up in time to see the top of the bulk carrier's tarpaulin. It smashed through the concrete garden fence I was working behind and knocked me about 10 feet backwards. A piece of concrete or brick struck me in the stomach and I was knocked into a concrete plinth.

"The first time I took a deep breath it was from a cloud of dust from the plaster and rubble in the back of the lorry. I think I was knocked out for a short while. The next thing I recalled was somebody telling me not to move and then a policeman came over to me. The driver climbed out of his unit through a cab window.

"If it had happened 20 minutes later the pavement would have been full of schoolchildren.

"This is the second time my garden fence has been knocked down. The first time an Escort ploughed through on Christmas morning 10 years ago."

A sore Mr Clough now says he'll keep one eye on the road on future gardening exercises.

Part of the main A572 road between Leigh and Boothstown was closed for three hours following the crash causing traffic chaos in Tyldesley and Atherton.

The driver received slight injuries but refused hospital treatment.