AN elderly' lorry driver has been cleared of dangerous drivng and assault after an off-duty policeman claimed he had tried to "squash" him with his lorry.

Henry Taylor, 67, was found not guilty of the allegations after a two-day trial at Burnley Crown Court.

The defendant, of Sawley Road, Grindleton, who had denied both charges, was discharged from the dock by Recorder Thomas Ryder.

Ian Ashworth, a Greater Manchester police officer who also owns a florists shop on the corner of Bonfire Hill Road and Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, had told the jury lorries turning left into the main road hit the shop.

He said on March 2, he heard a large vehicle coming down the narrow hill and went out of the shop to stop the driver and make him aware of the dangers.

Mr Ashworth, whose wife runs the shop, claimed the wagon turned into the main road and ripped the wood fascia from the of the property.

Mr Ashworth had alleged the lorry continued down Burnley Road and he ran alongside it, shouting for the driver to stop.

He said it stopped 50 to 100 yards down the road and he walked across the front of the vehicle to explain why he was shouting for he wanted the driver's insurance details.

He claimed he was in front of the lorry and it drove into him.

Mr Ashworth claimed the wagon pushed him three or four paces down the road and wasn't going to stop, so he went and stood on a zebra crossing as he knew the driver would be obliged to top.

Mr Ashworth alleged the driver didn't stop and pushed him down the road again.

The officer, who said he rang 999, alleged Mr Taylor was verbally abusive and swore at him. Mr Ashworth told the court he was not injured.

Charles Brown, for Mr Taylor, said the natural thing to do if a person was being reasonable was to look for the company's name and telephone number on the vehicle.

Mr Brown suggested Mr Ashworth was "effing and blinding," at the defendant and was acting in a fashion that would have caused alarm and even fear to any recipient.

The barrister claimed Mr Ashworth went and deliberately stood in front of the lorry, refusing to let him drive and blocking traffic from both directions.

Mr Brown told the court the lorry bumped Mr Ashworth no harder than he would be pushed in a post office queue and Mr Taylor did stop at the zebra crossing.

Mr Brown suggested Mr Ashworth had been "very silly," and "stupid,"and had put his back into the front of the lorry as if he was going to push it. It pushed him a few feet down the road.

The barrister suggested Mr Ashworth "lost his rag,", did the first thing that came to mind and ran after the wagon.

He claimed Mr Ashworth, who was shouting and swearing, ran in front of it.