FIREFIGHTERS helped free a young man after his hand was trapped in a conveyor belt at business premises on the Colebrook Industrial Estate at Tunbridge Wells last night.

The accident happened at Excel Logistics at about 5.30pm while the man was working with a telescopic conveyor belt inside a lorry.

Sub Officer John Wheeler, of Tunbridge Wells fire station, said: "We arrived to find the young man with his fingers firmly trapped.

"A frozen vegetable pack had been placed on his hand to reduce swelling and he was given oxygen by us and later pain-killing gas by ambulance personnel while we worked to free him.

"A combination of hand tools and his own determination got him clear within about 20 minutes and he was taken to hospital for treatment to his fingers.

"It was quite a difficult job in that we were working in a confined space and obviously had to be careful not to cause further injury or discomfort."