A FARMER has spoken of his "miracle escape" after the ceiling of a barn collapsed on top of him.

Mark Gornall, 45, a former world-class cyclist who competed at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, said he was "very lucky" to get away with just cuts and bruises after he was trapped in the rubble.

The dairy farmer, who broke his back in a quad-biking accident 15 years ago, said that he was just inches from death when the internal loft of the 20-year-old barn collapsed on him.

He has now been allowed home by doctors after the accident at his home in Laneside Farm, Pendleton, near Clitheroe.

He said: "All things considered I have been incredibly lucky, or unlucky for it to have happened to me, depending on how you look at it.

"I know that I could have been killed or seriously injured."

Mr Gornall said that he didn't even have time to panic when he realised the roof was collapsing. He had been tending to his sheep when he heard a noise coming from the barn.

He went to investigate and saw that cattle feed was falling from the loft space. He didn't realise at the time that the roof was already starting to collapse.

He said: "I was trying to stop the flow of the feed and then there was an almighty noise. Suddenly the whole building just collapsed down on top of me.

"There wasn't time to react. It was the last thing I expected."

The debris pinned him into an alcove where he was trapped in a bent-over position.

A roof beam was pressed across his right leg, holding him in place.

Swelling in his leg has now started to go down but he is having daily checks with doctors as they monitor his recovery.

He said that he now hopes to get back to work but he will be having a period of recuperation first.

Girlfriend Nicola Letten said: "He has been so lucky and now he is almost back to his usual chirpy self."