A MAN has suffered horrific injuries after being trapped in factory machinery for more than an hour.

Emergency services rushed to the scene on the morning of Wednesday, February 13 after Paul Kelly, 47, fell into an industrial grouting machine, commonly known as a hopper, at his Tile Master factory in Whittle-le-Woods, near Preston.

It is believed Mr Kelly, from Leyland, suffered severe injuries to both his arms and a leg. Last night surgeons worked to save his limbs which were badly severed by the blade of the machine.

A delivery driver heard his screams at 9.45am and raised the alarm.

Mr Kelly, of The Cloisters, fell into the machine -- used to mix powders together -- while he was working on it.

The driver heard Mr Kelly's screams, along with Malcolm Leigh, director at nearby Manor Products Ltd.

Mr Leigh rushed into the factory, and saw Mr Kelly up to his head in the equipment.

He said: "Paul was shouting for help.

"It's a cylinder machine with blades going round. All you could see was his head and hands sticking out.

"He had been going round in the machine, he had fallen in. He was unconscious when the machine stopped."

Mr Leigh said he was working alone at the premises which, he believes, Mr Kelly acquired in December last year.

"There are about three employed there," Mr Leigh said. "But one was off ill and the other lad was driving, so he was on his own in the factory."

Paramedics treated Mr Kelly at the scene and he was taken by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital and later transferred to Wythenshawe.

Now his wife Rhona, 43, and daughter Joanne, 24, were desperately waiting the outcome of an operation, carried out on Wednsady night.

Mrs Kelly was waiting at his bedside in hospital.

Daughter Joanne said: "We are just supporting each other at the moment.

"It was a big shock. We're on stand-by waiting for news when he comes out of theatre. He is going to be in theatre for a long time.

"He has got severe injuries to his hands, his arms and one foot mainly."

Paul West, operations manger for Air Ambulance North West, said: "When we arrived the man was trapped in the machine.

"We could not see him until we got on top of the machine which is called a hopper, and has a large blade at its base.

"We don't know how he got in the machine. We were there for 40 minutes working with the fire and rescue service to try and free him.

"We realised we had to get him to hospital quickly. We left with the patient at 10.53am and arrived at Royal Preston Hospital only three minutes later -- a journey which takes 20 minutes by land."

The Health and Safety Executive -- responsible for investigating accidents at work -- have been informed, and are investigating.