A BUSY road was blocked for five hours causing traffic chaos after a skip wagon containing tons of rubbish overturned, demolishing a garden wall.

A motorcyclist travelling down Todmorden Road, Burnley, was forced on to the pavement to avoid the falling six-wheel truck, which missed him by inches.

Wagon driver Tony Robinson, of Cliffe Street, Colne, was able to scramble out of his overturned cab by climbing through the passenger door as emergency services went to the scene, close to the junction with Brooklands Road, shortly before 3.30pm yesterday.

Eye witnesses said the container was swaying as it approached the left hand bend and overturned as Mr Robinson, 47, struggled to right the vehicle.

Busy Todmorden Road was closed from New Road to the Woodman Inn at Oxford Road, as police re-directed traffic and the police helicopter circled above.

Both Mr Robinson -- who was back at work at his firm John Field, Skip Hire, of Oxford Road, Burnley, today -- and the motorcyclist, who was very shaken by the incident, refused hospital treatment. Recovery vehicles had the container, which had been heading for the old brickworks tip above Towneley, back on its wheels at 6.30pm and the tons of rubbish were transferred to smaller skips.

Mrs Venita Edmondson returned home from shopping shortly after the accident to find her garden wall demolished.

Her daughter, Burnley college student, Michelle, 17, said: "The motorcyclist was not hurt but was very shocked, but he wouldn't go to hospital."

An eye witness to the incident saidthe motorcyclist mounted the pavement and appeared almost to go under the wagon as it fell towards him.

Were you the motorcyclist who missed serious injury by inches or do you know him? Contact our newsdesk on 01254 678678, or email let_editorial@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk