A MAN who had a thumb and the tips of two fingers ripped off in a works accident today accepted a public apology from his former boss -- but revealed that he still does not know if he will work again.

Peter Ashworth, of Richmond Street, Accrington, is still undergoing regular treatment nearly six months after the accident at Kirk Engineering.

The 51-year-old feared he would be snapped in half as he was dragged into a giant drilling machine he was operating at the small Oswaldtwistle firm on February 21 this year.

On Thursday, the firm was fined £4,000 for two health and safety breaches and Ian Cavannagh, Kirk's managing director, publicly apologised for the accident.

He also said he was looking forward to welcoming Mr Ashworth back to work.

Mr Ashworth is currently pursuing a civil compensation claim and today, the stepfather of three said: "There are many things I am struggling to do now, the sorts of things I used to take for granted.

"I still go for treatment on my hand regularly but I am restricted as to what I can do.

"I don't know when, or if, I will go back to work. It is now six months since the accident and I still can't put a date on going back. "Even if I do go back, I don't know if it will be to Kirk Engineering."

Reliving the accident, Mr Ashworth said: "I can still feel the pain when I think about it.

"I know I would have been snapped in half if I hadn't stood up and turned sideways.

"I was wearing gloves at the time. When I removed my hand part of the thumb stayed in there and all the tendons came out of my arm like a piece of string.

"I am not sure I could face working near that machine again.

"I want to get back into golf again first."

Since the accident, a safety trip on the machine has been fixed. Had the trip worked in February, the machine would have realised Mr Ashworth was being dragged into the machine and activated a brake, preventing accident.

The machine is now registered with the Health and Safety Executive, and is subject to regular inspections.