A WORKER was taken to hospital after falling from a concrete crushing machine on a Newport building site.

Kevin Barratt from Bristol is in a stable condition following the accident yesterday morning at the Bellway Homes Sherman's Meadow site in Coverack Road, Maindee.

His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening, say police.

The 22-year-old experienced groundworker, who was understood to be working for Somerset-based contractors SBH Limited, is believed to have slipped and fallen from the concrete crushing machine just after 9.30am.

Gwent police said he had head and neck injuries.

He was found unconscious by a colleague and had to be freed from the machinery by firefighters before being taken by ambulance to the Royal Gwent Hospital.

Bellway Homes' assistant site manager Mike Allen said: "I can confirm there was an unfortunate accident at the site involving a contractor worker.

"The details surrounding the event are still unclear but we believe he may have slipped and fallen."

Speaking to the Argus yesterday, Mr Allen added: "Officers from the Health and Safety Executive have already visited the site and we are helping them with their inquiries."

A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed they were investigating the accident.

Mr Barratt had been working a machine, operated by Caldicot-based company Rapidgrid, which crushes large concrete boulders into smaller boulders to be used to prepare ground for building work.

The incident was the first serious accident at the Bellway Homes development of nearly 150 two, three and four bedroom homes alongside the River Usk.