A BUILDING worker had a lucky escape on Tuesday March 18 when he fell two and a half metres from first-floor level at the Crammer Court site in Church Walk, Devizes, on to solid concrete.

The incident took place shortly before 10am on Tuesday when the 20-year-old man from Kidderminster, in Worcestershire, who is not being named, fell from the roof of one of the prefabricated timber frames his firm was putting up for Sarsen Housing Association.

The air ambulance helicopter intercepted the emergency call and landed on the Green to see if it could help. But the man was taken by road to the Royal United Hospital, Bath, with suspected back injuries.

He was later released after treatment for bruising. He returned to the building site in the afternoon but was sent home.

At first it was not known how serious the man's injuries were and the Rev Chris Tebbutt, vicar of St James' Church nearby, was called.

He said: "They were very worried about him and I was called to give comfort. Thankfully, he was not as seriously hurt as was first thought."

Steve Williams, from Sarsen Housing Association said: "They were putting together one of the timber frames that will form the base of the new buildings when one of the workers fell from first floor level.

"We take this kind of incident very seriously. The Health and Safety Executive was informed immediately and they will be investigating."

An inspector from the HSE visited the site on Tuesday afternoon and was yesterday in discussion with officers of Mansell's, the main contractors for the project, and Oregon, the specialist sub-contractors for whom the man worked.

A spokesman for the HSE said yesterday: "No decision has yet been made whether any action will be taken against Mansells or Oregon but discussions are continuing."