A CONTRACTOR fell 40ft from the roof of the Rose and Crown Pub, Manchester Road, Burnley, yesterday.

Nigel Hill, 28, of Shaw, near Oldham, was working for pub owners Punch Taverns, of Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Police said he had been seen carrying a plank of wood across the roof.

He fractured three ribs, broke his cheekbone and damaged his pelvis and was taken to Burnley General Hospital where he was today "stable but poorly".

Co-director of Livingstone and Buckley, Oldham, Jack Buckley said: "He works for sub contractors Dunkley Construction, of Oldham, who are carrying out work for us on the Rose and Crown. "The firm's owner Alan Dunkley went to the site yesterday and rang me from the hospital to say how he was.

There is scaffolding on the premises and he was working on the roof on the chimney pots. We don't think it was the wind that caused the accident. He might have just slipped."

Police have been informed and the Health and Safety Executive is also investigating.

The landlord and landlady were out when the accident happened at 10.42am. They did not want to speak about it today.

Punch Taverns bought many of the Bass lease estate pubs in April this year. A spokesman for the company said they were carrying out general improvement works on the property.

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