A seven-year-old boy had an amazing escape yesterday when a half-tonne bale of silage fell on top of him.

Daniel Greenwood, of Stocks House Farm, off Cragg Lane, Denholme Clough, was trapped under the bale for more than hour and firefighters said he was lucky not to be crushed to death.

Fortunately the bale was stopped in its tracks by a silage bay wall which absorbed almost all of the weight and the youngster escaped with little more than cuts and bruises.

Firefighters from Fairweather Green and Illingworth were called to the incident shortly after 1pm yesterday.

Leading fireman Paul Boocock, of Fairweather Green fire station, said: "The bales were being stacked when one of them fell on him. He was trapped by his legs, but because he was on a bed of tyres the springy surface seemed to lessen the impact. He was obviously very frightened.

"We used air bags to lift the bale and free him. He's had a lucky escape - it could have crushed him to death."

Edward Greenwood, Daniel's grandfather and owner of Greenwood's farm shop at Stocks House Farm, said: "The bale just slipped out of position and landed on him. Daniel's fine and was more bothered about missing his dinner. He had been driving in the tractor with his dad and we don't really know how the accident happened. It could have been worse though and it's fair to say he had a lucky escape.

"The bale wasn't travelling at a great speed when it trapped him and they are quite heavy. It was pulled off him and he was taken to hospital but there was nothing wrong with him.

"It's just one of those unfortunate things that happens and Daniel is fine and back at school today."

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